I Want To Marry Chad Danforth
by staywithmeBL
Summary: Chad Danforth is the bad boy of Hollywood. Along with his best friend Troy Bolton, he wouldn't change a thing about his perfect life. But when his reputation is questioned, his manager sets up a reality show where 25 women fight for his hand in marriage. What happens when the girl American chooses for him is falling in love with someone else? BACK AFTER A YEAR OFF OF WRITING...
1. A Change Is Gonna Come

**_okay, so since a few of my stories are coming close to an end, i figured it was okay to at least start up another.... right? so anyways, i've had this idea for quite a while and it's been burning me up to write it. this chapter is just kind of a promo/teaser. so let me know what you think.... thanks!_**

* * *

_You know, and I know  
You know that  
I know and I know  
And you know  
A change is gonna come_

'A Change is Gonna Come' - Sam Cooke

* * *

Altogether, it was another gorgeous day in Hollywood. The bright sun shining overhead, Chad Danforth and his best friend Troy Bolton sat around a table a small cafe waiting for Michael Stokes, the man both of them called their manager, to appear. Both of the young men knew exactly why Michael urgently needed to meet with them, although neither had said anything on the matter yet.

"Dude, he's gonna be so pissed at you." Troy said taking a sip of his water and gazed out at the street in front of him.

"I don't see how. I'm Chad freaking Danforth, the bad boy of Hollywood. The more scandalous tabloids there are about me, the more people like me." Chad responded cockily.

Troy opened his mouth to respond, but shut up when he saw the tall, dark haired man come storming across the room. As he approached their table he slammed a magazine down in front of them and looked at Chad with his nostrils flaring.

"Care to explain Danforth?" The man said in a low voice, his eyes shooting daggers at the young actor.

Troy looked down at the popular tabloid that had a picture of Chad driving a car with three women surrounding him with a bottle of beer in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth on the cover. Troy winced knowing this wasn't one of Chad's brighter moments.

"Michael, c'mon. Like anyone really cares." Chad said smirking.

Michael sat down at the table with them, and tried to do everything but scream at the man sitting adjacent to him. "Like hell the don't! Your popularity is going down from this charade you're putting on Danforth. How do you expect to keep getting movie roles if you're drunk half the time? No director or producer wants to deal with that, and what does this," he said holding up the tabloid, "say to them?"

Chad leaned back farther in his seat. "Listen. For ten years me and Troy have been starring in movies and winning the hearts of the American people. Especially the women." He flashed his friend a grin and wiggled his eyebrows before continuing. "I'm the badass, and he's the sappy, happy-go lucky, charmer you wanna take home and me the folks. That's how it is, and how it's always gonna be."

Troy glared at Chad while Michael looked down at table, seemingly trying to channel some of his anger. "Ten years ago it worked for you because everyone thinks it's cute for the young seventeen year old to be a 'bad ass.'" Michael using his hands to quote the phrase. "But nobody wants to see a twenty seven year old man use women and see pictures of him drinking and driving. They want to see you be a man, fall in love. You're coming to that time in your life Chad."

"Oh, get off the soap box Mike. Nobody thinks that." Chad's voice was impudent.

"Damn it Chad!" Michael said exploding, coming to his last resort. "You lost the movie with Katherine Heigl."

Water sprayed out of Chad's mouth, his body shooting up in shock. "What?!?!"

Michael met Chad's astonished gaze. ""They just called and said they were going with someone else. Someone with a cleaner image. Hell maybe they'll consider Troy."

Troy, at the other end of the table, had to hold back from laughter. It was about time something like this happened to Chad. He would never deny that Chad was his closest friend, but it was about time that Chad learned something from his actions.

Chad's expression fell into a solemn one and he looked up at his manager. "I can't believe this. What do I do?"

"Well, we have several options here. But most importantly we need to clean up your image." Michael said seriously.

Chad nodded his head. "Right, okay."

"And it's good that your friends with Troy, because he's already got that clean image we're looking for."

Chad looked over at Troy who just smirked back at him. He shot his friend a glare before looking back at his manager.

"And we had an idea to do some sort of reality show." Michael whispered quickly.

Chad's gaze quickly shifted back to his manager. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"Chad listen." Michael said nervously. "I spoke with a couple people back at the office, and they have this idea to clean up your image a bit. It wouldn't be anything too extreme, we just want to show you have a soft side, you know, a little heart?" Michael half questioned himself. "Show a little romance."

The two men watched as Chad stared blankly before he caught on to what Michael was saying and his eyes went wide. "No, no, no, no." He said standing up and putting his hands on his head, running his fingers through the dark ringlets that adorned his head.

"So what are you going to call it?" Troy said, his face red from fighting to restrain the laughter. Chad glared down at him.

"I Want To Marry Chad Danforth." Michael mumbled out.

"What?!?" Chad screamed.

Michael opened his mouth to respond but the only thing that could be heard was Troy's uncontrollable laughter as he buckled over as Chad stormed out of the restaurant.


	2. Get Ready

* * *

_And I'm bringing you a love that's true.  
So get ready, so get ready.  
I'm gonna try to make you love me too.  
So get ready, so get ready 'cause here I come._

'Get Ready' - The Temptations

* * *

Gabriella Montez quietly hummed to herself as she washed the dishes in her small kitchen. She had only gotten home from work an hour or so ago, but wanted to get some housework done before she headed over to her mother's house for dinner later that night.

She jumped at the sound of her door opening and quickly turned to see her sister, Eva, stepping inside. Her long dark curls, resembling her mother and younger sister's, were pulled back into a messy bun on the top of her forehead, and she was dressed as though she was getting ready to jump in bed. The outfit was a stark contrast to the blouse and dress pants Gabriella was wearing at the moment.

"Well, hello! This is the third time I've seen you this week. It's amazing you have your own home." She said sarcastically, turning back to his dishes.

"You know very well it gets lonely when Scott's on his long shifts, and I needed to get out of the house." Eva responded, quickly taking off her coat and sitting down at the bar in the kitchen, her hands wrapping themselves securely around her large protruding abdomen.

Gabriella nodded her head in response. She knew it was hard for her sister when her husband, Scott Radelle, was working. Scott was a firefighter, and was required to work three days on, two days off, or at least until more men were transferred to their station. Gabriella knew it was becoming especially hard on Eva as she was almost six months pregnant.

"Well, let's hope he doesn't have this schedule much longer then." She simply responded to her sister.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you're trying to get rid of me Gabi." Eva laughed and picked up a tabloid magazine on Gabriella's counter.

"Oh shut it. You going to mom's later?" Gabriella asked.

"Mmmhmmmm." Eva half responded, and Gabriella knew she was probably engulfed in the latest news on Brad and Angelina.

"I can't believe you actually have a subscription to this magazine." Eva said flipping the page.

"Well, how else would I get you to come visit? I just figured bribing you with junk food and junk entertainment would do the trick." Gabriella dodged the candy wrapper her sister threw at her. "Besides, we both know you secretly love reading them too."

"Okay, so maybe just a little." Eva admitted and flipped the page.

Gabriella laughed quietly and put the last of her dishes away.

"Oh my God!" She heard Eva scream, causing her to drop the plate she was holding, shattering across the floor.

"Are you okay?"Gabriella asked panicked and quickly turned around. What if something was wrong with the baby? She narrowed her eyes at her sister who looked the farthest thing from being in pain.

"Gabriella, look! I Want To Marry Chad Danforth!" Her sister squealed.

"What?" Gabriella asked in disbelief.

Eva was elated, and quickly turned the magazine around so Gabriella could see. "Look, you can enter yourself to be on a reality show, and try and win the heart of Chad Danforth. You know the guy who was in that new action movie we just saw?"

"I know who he is, Eva. Please tell me you did not just scream over that." Gabriella's voice was flat.

Eva looked at her strangely. "Yeah."

"Oh geez, Eva. I actually thought something was wrong. You really scared me." Gabriella scolded and walked to the pantry, quickly grabbing her broom, and walking back over to clean up the mess.

"You really need to chill sometimes." Eva said and then laughed. "We should totally enter you! How cool would that be?"

"Um, not very?" Gabriella responded not looking up from the mess on the floor.

"Oh, whatever. It's Chad Danforth Gabi!"

Gabriella paused her sweeping for a moment and looked up at her sister. "First off, I hate reality TV shows. Especially ones where girls subject themselves to backstabbing and mindless games to win a guy's affection. Secondly, even if I were picked, which we both knew there's one in a million chance of that happening, I don't really find Chad Danforth attractive or my type at all. It'd be pointless."

Eva sighed. "You really don't find him attractive?"

"Nope."

"I forgot you're into pretty boys." Eva jabbed.

Gabriella scoffed. "It's just my type, okay? Just like you can't help being attracted to rugged, strong, dirt-under-the-finger-nails kind of guys."

"Dirt-under-the-finger-nails?"

"It drives me crazy." Gabriella said seriously. "I couldn't ever date a guy with rough hands or dirt under his fingernails. Please tell me what the turn on is from rough, dirty fingers touching any part of your body. There isn't any."

"You're so weird." Eva said receiving a glare from her sister. "So whaddya say? Can we enter you?"

"Enter yourself."

"Uh, hello? I'm married. Six months preggors. Ring a bell?"

"Eva, no." Gabriella said and swept up the last bit of glass shards off the ground.

Eva looked down at the article with the attached entry form. What Gabriella didn't know couldn't hurt her. It's not like she'd be chosen anyways.

* * *

"Okay, tell me the plan so I can get this over with," Chad said sitting down in a large chair in a conference room in his manager's office. He watched as Michael signaled to his assistant who began to place pieces of papers all around the tables. Chad watched as the faces of different women were staring back up at him from the photos on the table.

"Basically, what we need to do first is pick out twenty five girls. I've eliminated them down to fifty already based on their applications. Trust me, you can thank me for that."

Chad nodded his head as he listened to his manager. He could only imagine some of the applications that had been sent in. In the last ten years, he and Troy had dealt with plenty of crazed fans, paparazzi, and other lunatics.

"Then, on the first day of shooting, you will have to eliminate ten girls immediately. Based on looks, personality, whatever floats your boat. You'll spend the day talking to all twenty five and at the end, BAM!, ten are gone." Michael continued explaining.

"Well, that's not too bad." Chad admitted.

"After that, you'll go through a series of group dates. Take five out at once, four out at once. You get the deal. But each week, somebody has to go. Pretty easy right?"

"Do I really have to marry her?" Chad grumbled.

Michael laughed. "The only episode that will air live will be the finale. You'll pick the girl, date her for a month, and then you'll tragically separate. America will be crushed, and sympathize with your loss, and the new Chad Danforth we're looking for has been created."

"Okay, well at least I'm not stuck with her then."

"Right." Michael said pointing at him. "Now let's go pick your girls!"

Chad stood up and began circling around the tables looking at the photos and applications each girl had sent in. "Why did you make them send in a picture?"

"I know everyone says that love is blind, beauty is skin deep, whatever. But I have a show to run, and an image to create."

Chad laughed, and nodded. He leaned in closer to a picture of a beautiful blond named Marissa, and noticed she was a school teacher. _Damn_, he thought, _I don't remember any school teachers looking like **that**._

"So what do you think?" Michael asked interrupting his thoughts.

"I really think there are some good potentials here." He replied and stopped looking at a picture of a woman with dark hair and sparkling eyes. Her chocolate skin glowed and her sweet smile entranced him. _Taylor McKessie._ He couldn't help but linger a few seconds longer over the photo before moving on to the next.

"Alright let's do this." Chad said taking a few steps back, picking up Taylor's, Marissa's and a few other profiles and handed them to Michael. "There's a few, you can pick the rest."

Michael smiled. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."

* * *

Gabriella straightened the last sections of her hair, and gave herself a once over before going to pick out her clothes for work. She knew working in a library wasn't the most elegant or extravagant job, but she loved every bit of it. From the regulars who came in every day and the smell of the books all around her, to the little kids who were just finding their passion for reading - she wouldn't trade it for the world. She had always had a passion for literature ever since her father gave her a worn copy of Pride and Prejudice as a little girl. She loved the feeling of getting captured in a good story, and loved sharing that love with people everyday.

Picking out a black button up blouse and a pair of gray dress pants, she pulled on her black ballet flats, grabbed her purse and headed for her front door. She reached for the knob and turned it, jumping back in surprise at the sight on the other sight of the door.

A man stood with a microphone in front of three or four video cameras and lights were shining on her.

"Can I-I-I help you?" She stuttered out, suddenly very nervous.

"Are you Gabriella Montez?" The man asked in a voice that made Gabriella feel like she was on a game show.

"Yeah." She said in confusion. _Who were these people?_

"Congratulations Gabriella! You've been selected to be on of twenty five girls in America to be on the new reality TV show 'I Want To Marry Chad Danforth!'"

Gabriella's jaw dropped open. "What?!?!?!"

* * *

_can i just say i'm already in love with this story. i have so many ideas for it and can't wait to write more chapters. let me know what you think!_


	3. I've Just Seen A Face

_I've just seen a face,  
I can't forget the time or place  
where we just met.  
She's just the girl for me  
and I want all the world to see we've met.  
Had it been another day,  
I might have looked the other way  
and I'd have never been aware.  
But as it is I'll dream of her tonight.  
Falling, yes I am falling,  
and she keeps calling  
me back again._

'I've Just Seen A Face' - The Beatles

* * *

Gabriella stood stunned in the doorway of her home trying to wrap her head around what had just happened to her. After her loud response, the camera crew immediately went back to their van and the man who was at her door handed her a few papers and said a man named Michael something or other would be contacting her soon. She stood there moments later trying to figure how could this have happened to her.

It was then the thought hit her.

"Eva." She said in a low voice, her eyebrows lowering and eyes growing dark, if that was even possible with her gorgeous brown orbs.

She stormed back into the house and picked up the phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. The phone rang a few times before she heard her sister's tired greeting. She obviously had still been asleep.

"Eva, what did you do?!?" Gabriella's booming voice echoed through the phone.

"Gabi what are you talking about?" Eva said with a groggy voice.

"Eva, I know what you did. How could you do this to me?!?" She shrieked at her sister.

"Look, it's early. Can you please just tell me what I did so I can go back to sleep?" Eva mumbled.

Gabriella paused a moment and took a deep breath of air, hoping it would calm her down. "I Want To Marry Chad Danforth."

Eva was silent on the other end of the phone. "How'd you find out?"

Gabriella's anger surged. "How did I find out? HOW DID I FIND OUT? I'd say the camera crew and game show host at my freaking front door this morning was a big sign EVA!"

Gabriella knew that everything was finally registering in her sister's mind, and waited patiently for her sister to apologize. Eva knew how much Gabriella hated being the center of attention, and knew that signing her up for a TV show was the biggest no-no anyone could have done. The phone was still silent, and she knew that any moment now Eva would be practically begging for forgiveness.

"Oh my God! Oh My God! No, you didn't! Oh my God, you did! Ahhhhhh!!!! This is so exciting Gabi!"

Or not.

Gabriella could hear Eva's sharp breaths, as if her sister was trying to calm herself down.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella's tone was flat. "How is this exciting?"

"Just stay where you are, Gabi. I'll be over in thirty minutes tops."

"What? No! I have to go to work Eva."

"No, you don't. Call them and say I'm sick and you need me. I'll be there soon."

There was a click signaling Eva had hung up the phone and Gabriella let out a long frustrated groan.

* * *

"Look, Michael. I know you're really trying to clean up Chad's image but can you please explain why I'm here. My rep's as clean as a whistle." Troy said as he and Chad walked with his manager to his office.

Michael simply looked at him before he quickly opened the door and both actors stepped in.

"Truth is, Troy. I need you in this too." Michael said after taking his seat at his desk. Troy and Chad both sat in the comfortable lounge chairs across from him. Troy looked at him blankly, not fully understanding what the man was saying.

Nervously. Michael sat up and adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone knows Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth are a team, right? Ever since your first movie you starred in together, you've been a pair. As Chad said the other day, he's the sharp bad boy and you're the charming guy people want to take home to meet the parents. Like yin and yang. And it's always worked for you. Your fans love that you guys still have such a close friendship, and even that you're both filthy rich but you still choose to stay roommates. It's almost humbling to them."

Troy laughed to himself at that comment. Troy and Chad's house was so large that you could hardly call them roommates. He could go days without seeing Chad in the place. He shook his thoughts and continued to listen to Michael.

"We have this fear that we'll launch the show and no one will watch it. We need you two together. America thinks you guys do everything together. The impact on Chad's image will be so much greater if we have you Troy."

Troy looked at him skeptically and then over at his friend who looked like it was his turn to hold in the laughter, or that he knew something Troy didn't.

"So what does that mean exactly?" Troy asked, looking back at Michael. "I stop in from time to time?"

Michael hesitated before responding. "We're renting a house that has like seven bedrooms. The first show Chad will cut ten girls immediately from the show. The remaining fifteen girls will be grouped into threes and each group will share a bedroom and one bathroom. Luckily the last two bedrooms are at the opposite end of the house."

Troy continued to state at Michael. Two bedrooms. Two bedrooms... one for Chad and one for...

"No, no, no!" He said standing from his chair and waving his arms in protest. "You can't honestly expect me to be a part of this circus!"

"Troy, we need you." Michael pleaded. "Do this for Chad!"

"This makes no sense. Why do I have to be a part of it?" Troy demanded. He couldn't believe how ridiculous this was.

"We don't want to risk the show failing. And we also want it to seem like these girls are being thrown into Chad's real life. And that includes you. It's not like you have to date any of the girls, you'll really just be what you already are – his best friend. You'll talk to the girls, find out which ones you don't like and tell Chad. They'll tell you things they wouldn't tell him, and you'll see things he wouldn't see."

Michael paused a moment. "I'll give you a great bonus at the end of the show."

"I don't care about the money Mike." Troy said through gritted teeth.

"Well," Michael continued, "do this for Chad then. He's your best friend, and you know he'd do it for you. We're trying to save his career and as a friend you should be there to help. Don't you-"

"I'm in." Troy said, not allowing Michael to finish. He just _had_ to throw the friend card. Famous or not, Chad was his best friend, and Troy would do anything for him. They had stuck together through thick and thin, and though the events that even America didn't know about. "Whatever, I'm in."

* * *

"Can you please tell me why we're at the mall?" Gabriella asked tearing her eyes from the clothing in the windows of the stores around them and looking over at her sister.

"Gabi, you were selected to be on a TV show! No sister of mine will look like a librarian on TV." Eva said excitedly.

"I'm not doing the show Eva." Gabriella told her sister.

"Yes, you are." Eva told her sternly. "Gabriella just think of the opportunity you've been given."

"The show is a mockery." Gabriella responded. "I wouldn't even last one day."

Eva huffed next to her. "Please Gabriella. Just for once, do something for yourself. Take a break from that boring job you have and do something that could be really fun."

"Eva, I like my job." Gabriella interjected.

"Not the point Gabi. Everyone takes time off. Everyone does things that are a little risky. Please, for once, do something that isn't by the books and take a chance. You've been selected for something that millions of girls out there wished to be. I'm willing to bet your job will be there as soon as you come back, just like everything else important in your life. How many people can honestly say they were chosen to be on a TV show? Not to mention a TV show starring a big celebrity? This is a once in a lifetime thing here Gabi."

Gabriella looked away as her sister said this and realized she was right. She had never been one to live vicariously or mess up, or just go out and let loose. It couldn't hurt to be that person just once could it?

But she also knew that the show was something exactly opposite of what Gabriella stood for. It made girls look like possessions or something you can buy in a store. It belittled them.

Her insides were fighting each other. This was something that didn't happen to everyone, and she knew she should consider herself lucky.

"Okay." She said quietly.

"Yes!" Eva squealed, causing a few people to turn and look at her. "Let's go shopping!"

* * *

Gabriella stood in front of her house with her mother and sister and waited for her ride to show up. A week or so ago she had met with a man name Michael Stokes where he explained all the rules and guidelines of the show, and had her sign what seemed an endless amount of papers. And still she knew very few things: she was to act herself, be on the show for and only for the sole purpose of the show (no advertising or business ploys allowed), and that she was not allowed to leave the show unless she had been asked to by Chad himself. If she didn't follow these basic rules she would be sued. And that was pretty much it.

She straightened her dress and gathered her suitcases as the dark limo pulled up to the curb in front of her house, and turned to her mother. After hugging and saying goodbye to her mother, she turn and hugged her sister, trying hard not to put pressure on her protruding belly.

"Call me when you can." Eva whispered in her ear. "I want details."

Gabriella saw the smirk on her sister's face as she pulled away from the embrace and slowly got into the car. The driver shut her door, and she gave one last look out the window to her mother and sister standing on the sidewalk before the car pulled away from the normal life she so loved living.

* * *

"Damn it, where is he Troy?" Michael furiously asked the young actor. "The girls are supposed to arrive in less than an hour and I want to start filming as soon as that happens!"

Troy shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to be here, or be a part of this debauchery. "I'm sure he'll turn up."

As if on cue, Chad strode through the doorway and made his way to where Troy and Michael were standing. He smirked at them as if he had done nothing wrong.

"Just tell me what I need to do, Mike." Chad said, a smile plastered on his face. Troy knew that smile, and knew that Chad had been up to his usual antics.

_'God. The show is going to be a complete failure and my rep's going with it.'_ He thought to himself.

"We've been over this Chad. We'll film the girls arriving, surprise them with a visit from Troy who will then in turn introduce you. You spend the evening with them and eliminate ten immediately. And that's all for tonight. After we're done filming, I'll meet with them and explain basic house rules and all that jazz. Once that's finished filming will resume as the girls settle in to their rooms. Each week we'll air a new episode, and the finale will be aired live."

"Sounds easy enough." Chad said in a hot shot voice that would put any school boy to shame.

"For you." Troy mumbled.

"Alright guys, let's get everything together. Troy, you know what to say right?" Michael asked, receiving only a glare from Troy.

"Right." Michael said to himself and took his place in next to Troy and Chad in the impromptu studio set up in the house. It was in this room that all show matters would be taken care of, and Michael himself could watch what was going on in the house without actually being there with his two clients.

"Okay, here's come our first girl." Someone said from the far end of the room. Everyone looked on as a blond entered the room, and Michael quickly shifted through the papers and declared that Emily Schnapps had shown up. They all continued to watch as she was greeted by a man playing the house butler and shown into a lounge in the front of the house.

Troy could find himself falling asleep as they continued to watch as one by one the girls were greeted and shown into the lounge. It wasn't until a girl with incredibly dark hair and eyes displayed on the screen in front of him did he perk up. Her shoulder length ebony curls framed her face, a glow erupting off of her olive colored skin. Her petite frame curving in all the right places. He felt his heart constrict and his breath catch in his throat and prayed that no one noticed his sudden change in behavior. There was something in her expression that struck him, her eyes hinting a nervousness and innocence that he hadn't really seen in any of the other girls. And to him, it was refreshing.

"Gabriella Montez." Michael declared. "Twenty six year old librarian from New Mexico."

"Librarian?" Chad scoffed. Troy glared at him, but it went unnoticed by his friend.

Troy tried to shake the feeling off his chest after seeing Gabriella, spending most of his time watching Chad's reactions to the girls coming inside. Every so often he would make a typical Chad comment but Troy did notice Chad's stance stiffen when a girl named Taylor McKessie walked through the door. He wasn't exactly sure what the change meant, but it took his mind of the brunette in the back of his mind for the time being. Could Chad really change his ways after the show? Or would the show even change his image at all? What if it was a terrible disaster and he somehow was stuck in the middle?

They all watched as the last girl arrived, and Michael turned to Troy. "Go do your thing. They don't know you'll be here, so just be prepared for that."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Great."

* * *

Sitting in the lobby with the other girls, Gabriella was suddenly wondering why she had allowed Eva to talk her into this. She could immediately see that she had nothing in common with the other contestants on the show, and she wasn't really even a big fan of Chad Danforth as it was anyways. What if she should win? Would she really have to marry him?

"Wondering why you signed yourself up for this too?" A low voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see a woman with dark hair and dark skin looking at her.

Gabriella smiled and shook her head. "I didn't even sign up for this. My sister entered me."

The girl laughed. "Well, at least you're smarter than I am. I didn't really think I'd have a chance in getting picked. I just think he's so gorgeous, and entered myself for the fun of it."

The girl's eyes sparkled when she talked about Chad, and for a moment, Gabriella felt incredibly sad for her. "I'm Gabriella."

The girl took the hand Gabriella had extended and shook it. "Taylor."

Gabriella opened her mouth to continue the conversation, but was stopped when she heard a noise from behind the door. Her eyes, along with the other twenty four pairs in the room, darted towards the door and a collective gasp and a few "oh my god's" were heard at the sight in front of them.

Troy Bolton. Looking incredibly gorgeous. Headed their way.

Gabriella's heart race picked up quickly, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

_'Get real, Gabriella.' _She told herself, and continued to watch as he walked perfectly to the center of the room and flashed his incredible smile.

"Hello everyone. I'm sure you all know who I am, and I just wanted to personally welcome all of you. Chad and I are really excited to have you all here with us, and know the next few weeks are going to be nothing short of amazing. I want to remind you all that this show is about winning the heart of my friend Chad, and that is why I'm here. Everyone knows that to win over a guy, you have to win over his friends as well. Best of luck to each and every one of you."

He paused a moment and Gabriella swore his eyes shifted to meet with hers, and her heart rate sped up again. Troy Bolton was going to be in the house as well? She would kill Eva when she made it back home.

"And now let's get to the real reason why you're all here. I want you all to meet my best friend, Chad Danforth."

* * *

"It seems like things are going really well, Mike." Troy said to his manager in the tech room hours later. After he had introduced Chad to the girls, his job was over for the night and he retired to the room to watch the events from afar.

Michael looked at him and nodded his head and then returned his gaze to the screen. "Yes, there is definitely some good stuff here. I just need some shots with him talking to all of the girls."

"Who hasn't he talked to?" Troy asked, his gaze also returning to the screen. To him, the charade was getting old. Chad had gone from circle to circle and made absent-minded small talk to every girl in the room.

Mike narrowed his eyes and pointed to a section on the TV that displayed two girls sitting in the corner of the room. Immediately, Troy recognized the dark haired beauty sitting on the couch having what seemed a sincere conversation with one of the other girls.

"These two. They've been sitting there the entire night."

"Sir," one of the production assistants called over, "we told him through his head piece to go over to the two in the corner."

Mike smiled at the man. "Good."

Troy's spirits fell as he turned his head back to the screen and watched as friend excused himself from the current gaggle of girls surrounding him.

* * *

Gabriella knew she probably should be talking to Chad. It was the point of the show, and she knew that she had no chance of winning if she didn't even make an effort. But she was having such a great time talking with Taylor and really didn't want their conversation to end. She knew from the very first few moments that Taylor would be a friend in this adventure, and probably one of the only people she'd be able to trust while she was here. And that was somewhat comforting. At least she wouldn't be alone.

She wasn't surprised, though, when she saw Chad excuse himself and make his way in her direction from the corner of her eye. She tried to widen her eyes and signal Taylor, but her new friend was too engulfed in the conversation to understand.

"Now how is it that I haven't yet had the pleasure to speak to you two lovely ladies?" A cool voice cut in and Gabriella watched in amusement as Taylor stopped mid-sentence and looked over at it's owner in surprise. She gave a weak smile, one that Gabriella could already recognize as a poor attempt at flirting, and slightly giggled.

Gabriella continued to watch as Taylor and Chad carried on in conversation, and wanted to gag most times as how scripted Chad sounded. She wondered if it was all part of the trade, that from being an actor so long everything sounded scripted.

Before she even knew it, Chad had excused himself, leaving a blushing Taylor staring after him.

Gabriella had only been in the house for a total of four and a half hours, and already she was nervous of what would become of this venture. She would either be thanking or killing Eva for sure when it was all said and done.


	4. Something About You

* * *

_But there was something about you,  
I want you to know.  
It brought a change over me.  
It's startin' to show,  
I got this feelin' inside, gotta have you, have you._

_'Something About You' - Boston_

* * *

An hour or so later, Chad excused himself from the room and left the girls to mingle with themselves. He made his way back to the film room where he saw Troy and Mike waiting for him. They would now have to eliminate ten girls.

The next thirty minutes were easy, for Chad. He picked ten girls he thought he would get a long with, ones that Mike and Troy both agreed would help to improve his image should they win the show. The next five were chosen by Mike, and were the ones he thought America would want to see more of.

And to Troy's dismay, Gabriella Montez was one of those five. Mike loved the whole librarian aspect. He also said that she seemed sweet and slightly naïve, and that was something that would attract viewers. Troy wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to see anything progress between Chad and Gabriella, and for the first time in his life, Troy was jealous of Chad.

Deep down, he was excited. He knew that even though this show was about finding a woman for Chad, keeping Gabriella around meant he would have the chance himself to spend time with her. He could find out more about her, and figure out why he hadn't been able to get her face out of his mind since he had first seen her five hours ago.

"Okay, these are our top fifteen." Mike said proudly and putting his hands on the two boys shoulders. "Chad, go do your thing. I'll come in after the ten have been dismissed and explain some house rules."

Chad nodded and made his way to the door. Troy turned his eyes to the screen where he could watch the elimination.

* * *

Gabriella stood next to twelve other girls, already believing she was going home. Chad had picked thirteen of the top fifteen and she was pretty sure that she wasn't going to be one of the last two chosen.

_'Oh well.' _She told herself. It wasn't like she was really looking forward to getting to know Chad Danforth as it was anyways.

She was sad that her new friend, Taylor, also hadn't been chosen. Unlike Gabriella , Taylor earnestly wanted the chance of getting to know Chad. Gabriella could see it in the girl's eyes, and the poor, shy attempts of flirting Taylor had shown just a little while ago.

Gabriella's thoughts were shaken as she heard Chad announce the fourteenth girl.

"Gabriella Montez."

Shock immediately took over Gabriella's body, and she slowly walked up to where Chad was standing. He handed her a long-stemmed rose and smiled.

"Gabriella, I'd be honored if you would stay."

She smiled and nodded her head before making her way back to where she had previously been standing. She had been chosen? She was going to keep going on with this charade! Why had he chosen her? She hadn't really even spoken to him!

Her thoughts were racing and she almost missed the dark-skinned girl make her way to where Chad was standing. Taylor was staying too! Taylor made her way back to the line of girls, and Chad dismissed the girls who hadn't been chosen. Gabriella looked on as some of them threw fits, and others cried. Was this really that important to them??

"Thank you ladies. I'm sure I will see all of you very soon." He flashed a bright smile and quickly left the room. Moments later, the man she recognized as Chad's manager, Mike or something like that, reappeared.

"First and foremost, congratulations to each and every one of you. I just wanted to run through room assignments and basic house rules before I allow the filming to take over."

A small man standing beside him began handing out papers to the girls. "These are the rules in case you forget. Remember that all of you are under contract. There is also a map on the back page. It will show you every room in the house including the film room. It also has a map of the land surrounding the house you are allowed to go to. The house sits on fifteen acres, so I'm sure if you need to get out of the house you'll find that it's pretty satisfactory out there."

He allowed the girls a few moments to look at the maps before continuing. "Every room in the house has cameras set up except for the living room in the basement, the bathrooms, and Troy's quarters. You may go to the living room if you feel you need to get away from the cameras. There is a phone in that room as well if you need to call home or family and friends. You may not, however, go in to Troy's room or quarters. We have given him his privacy for a reason, and please remember you are here to woo Chad. Troy is here as friend to Chad and to all of you. So please, respect Troy's privacy. You will be sent home if you disobey this. Is this understood?"

He watched as fifteen heads bobbed up and down and continued on with his speech.

"And now for room assignments. After I have called your names, please gather your stuff and someone will show you to your room. You have an hour to settle in and the cameras will turn back on and will not turn off again until the finale."

"In the blue room will be Suzanne Rosh, Taylor McKessie, and Gabriella Montez. Jared will show you girls to your room."

Gabriella quickly picked up her suitcases and followed the small man down a few hallways and up a set of stairs. The maps they were given didn't do the house justice and she was mesmerized by it's size.

"Alright girls, here you go." Jared told the girls and Gabriella immediately saw why it was labeled the 'blue room.' From the walls to the carpets to the bedspreads, the room was decorated in various shades of blue. Surprising, though, it wasn't over the top. It was one of the prettiest bedrooms Gabriella had ever seen.

"Ugh. I'm definite need of a shower." She heard Suzanne say and watched as the tall blond dropped her bags and made her way to the connected bathroom.

"I'm so glad you're rooming with me." Taylor said quietly, and Gabriella shifted her gaze over to the girl. "Even if it's with her as well."

Gabriella genuinely laughed at that. "Yeah, me too."

Taylor gave her a small smile and the two went to unpacking their stuff and getting settled in. Gabriella was grateful that Suzanne was in such need of a shower because it gave her and Taylor the opportunity to choose which beds and dressers they wanted, and luckily they chose the two next to each other on the far side of the room. This left Suzanne in the lone bed across the room.

After she was all settled Gabriella sat down on the bed and looked around the room.

"Still wondering why you're here?" She asked Taylor.

"Not anymore. I think I filled the sheet out as a joke to myself and now that I'm here, and have been asked to stay I'm kind of starting to think it was supposed to happen."

"You think?"

"Who knows? I'm not much of a fate kind of girl, but all of this seems so surreal."

Gabriella nodded in response. She _was_ a 'fate kind of girl' but she couldn't figure out what destiny was lying ahead of her here. She would only have to give it time and figure it out.

* * *

A few days later mostly everyone had become accustomed to the house, and more or less, things were starting to go as planned. Chad had already taken the first group of five on a date the day before, and the house was buzzing on all the little details from the event.

Neither Gabriella or Taylor had gone on the date, so it gave them the time to discover more about each other, and Gabriella was really starting to find an honest friend in Taylor. She smiled at the thought, thinking that maybe that _that_ was the reason she was here, and rolled over in bed. It was currently eight in the morning and she knew that most the people in the house wouldn't be awake for quite some time. Figuring she could use some food, she quietly got out of bed and tip-toed out of the room and made her way down to the kitchen.

Looking through the cupboards, she found the various items she needed and turned on the radio above the microwave and began preparing breakfast.

* * *

Troy couldn't sleep. He knew it was early, but his mind was racing and sleep was never going to come.

He got out of bed and grabbed his basketball shorts, figuring he could play a few games to clear his mind before the days festivities officially began.

In the few short days he had been in this house, he couldn't really complain. He was thankful the girls had listened to Mike and gave him his privacy. They stayed out of his quarters, and kept pleasant conversation whenever he was around the house. They all knew he was key to winning the show, and so far they were all playing by the rules given to them. He knew that rooms with cameras, or the ones where Chad was, was usually where everyone was, and because of this he found it easy to avoid the drama.

After getting dressed he made his way down the hallway and smelled something amazing coming from the kitchen. Figuring that Jameson was already making breakfast for the house, he made a detour to grab a bite before hitting the court.

He stopped dead in his tracks, however, as he turned the corner to the kitchen and saw a small brunette dancing in front of the stove, flipping a pancake every so often. He immediately recognized the ebony curls planted in a small bun on top the girl's head, and smiled as he continued to watch her dance. Her short polka dot pajama shorts covered just enough of her to leave his mind wandering but her small tank top left no room for imagination.

In the last few days Troy had come to learn that Gabriella Montez wasn't like any other girl in the house. Usually when there was drama, she was no where to be found. If Chad and the other fourteen girls were watching TV, she was usually reading, and she spent a lot of time in the living room where there were no cameras. She seemed honest, and pure, and that alone kept Troy wanting more.

"It smells delicious in here." He said loud enough for her to know he was the room. She quickly turned around and blushed when she saw who was standing there.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked, the embarrassment showing in her cheeks.

"I just got down here. I thought I'd go play some ball, but the smell lured me in here." He said with a light chuckle and Gabriella gave a small smile in response. "What are you making?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes. You want some?" She asked, her eyes sparkling as they met his.

"Yeah, I'd love some." Troy said and flashed her a wide grin, and Gabriella felt her heart grow warm. She watched as he took a seat at the island across from her and she turned back to the stove.

"So tell me about yourself." Troy said bluntly as he tried to avoid watching her at the stove, finding the task harder than he imagined.

"Well," she started. "I'm a twenty-six year old librarian from New Mexico."

Troy laughed at the comment and she turned to look at him. "What?"

"I know all of that." The laughter was still evident in his voice.

Gabriella smiled at him. "Oh, I guess you do. I guess I've had to say that a lot the past few days."

"Seriously though," Troy continued. "Any brothers or sisters?"

"One sister." She responded. "Eva."

Troy smiled at the look that fell on Gabriella's face as she recalled her sister. "What's she like?"

"She's something else, that's for sure." Gabriella said laughing. "She always was, too. And a serious heart breaker. In high school I was the shy one and she had the school wrapped around her finger. People never messed with me because they knew they'd have to face her."

"That's awesome. She still that way?"

"For the most part yeah. Well," Gabriella said pausing. "Not the heart breaker part. Her and her husband are expecting their first child in a few months. But she's definitely as tough as she always was."

"Are you excited about becoming a new aunt?" Troy asked, and Gabriella turned around with two plates filled with pancakes. She quickly grabbed the syrup from the fridge and set it between them and went back to standing across from him.

"What's with all the questions?" She asked giggling. "You'd think I was on some cheesy reality show."

"Ha ha." Troy said sarcastically. "But seriously. That's got to be exciting."

Gabriella smiled and looked away. "I'm excited for them. Eva's going to be such a great mother. She just has such a big heart."

"Sound like a family trait." Troy said without thinking, and watched as the color rose in Gabriella's cheeks again. He gave her a smirk.

"She's just always looking out for the people she loves. She's the reason I'm here."

The statement took Troy off guard. "Why's that?"

"She sent in my application. I think she just wants me to be as happy as she is. Her relationship is like something you'd see in the movies, so maybe that's why she thought it was a good idea. I don't know."

Troy stared at her for a few moments, wonder growing on her beautiful features. It was like a door had just opened and a whole new world was available to him. So she wasn't another girl obsessed with Chad Danforth?

They ate the rest of breakfast in peace, and it wasn't until a few other girls began to wake did Troy leave the kitchen, excusing himself to the basketball courts outside.

Gabriella stayed in her spot for almost thirty minutes after he had left. She hadn't read through the rule packet completely yet, but she was pretty sure falling for Troy Bolton instead of Chad wasn't allowed.

* * *

**okay, so whatcha think??? please, please, please review.... please?**


	5. Love Soon

* * *

_I understand I wasn't part of the plan.  
A dollar short, a minute early  
but i am your man.  
So come on and face it,  
it's time that we say it.  
You can cross the line whenever you want to  
I'm calling it love soon.  
Close your mind and waste some time if you have to,  
I'm calling it love soon.  
It's not about you now, it's what we are._

'Love Soon' - John Mayer

* * *

"Seriously Gabriella, blue or black?" Taylor nervously asked her friend who was currently sitting cross-legged on the bed in the room the two girls shared. Gabriella was wearing bright yellow sweatpants and a navy blue beater, her hair pulled back into pigtails as she fiddled with the one that fell just short of her left ear. They had been doing this for over an hour now - Gabriella watching as Taylor tried on outfit after outfit. She was beyond bored, but she would never tell that to her friend.

"I say go with the blue." Gabriella answered honestly. "It's an afternoon date, so you don't want to look too overdone, and the pattern on the blue is fun."

Taylor's face broke out in a wide grin as she threw the black dress onto her bed. "Blue it is. Can you believe it Gabi? I'm going on a date with Chad Danforth!"

Taylor squealed as Gabriella gave her the most genuine smile she could muster up. Sure, Taylor was going on a date with Chad, but so were four other girls. Four other girls who looked like they stepped out of a Victoria's Secret magazine.

Gabriella looked down at her sweatpants and sighed. She knew that as soon as she walked out of the room she would immediately regret the choice of clothing. She had never been one to be self-conscious around other girls, but being in this house made her feel entirely too plain.

'_Oh well.' _She thought, and pushed herself off of the soft bed. "Hey Tay, I think I'm going to go downstairs and get something for lunch."

She heard rustling behind the door, and moments later Taylor opened the door in her bathrobe. "Gabi wait! You have to tell me how the dress looks!"

Gabriella laughed. "Taylor, I've seen it several times already and it looks amazing on you."

Taylor looked at her with a nervous face. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Gabriella answered and walked up to her friend and engulfed her in a hug. "Knock him dead."

Taylor smiled as Gabriella pulled away. "What are you going to do today?"

Gabriella looked up and shrugged her shoulders. She knew exactly what she'd be doing – the same thing she did every Saturday from August to November – but she decided to play it cool. "I dunno. I think there's a few things on TV I might watch."

Taylor laughed. "Don't get too crazy now."

Gabriella smirked. "I'll try."

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way down to the kitchen.

* * *

Hours later, after he knew the group of people going on the 'date', and better yet the drama that surrounded it, had cleared; Troy made his way out of his room and down the long hallway leading to the center of the house. He hated having to hide in the place he was supposed to call home, but he was really trying to steer as clear as possible from the show as he physically could. He knew that with Chad and five of the girls gone for the day, the cameras would have much more interesting things to find with them than back at the house.

He has realized a few days ago that it should be any man's dream to be surrounded by fifteen gorgeous girls twenty-four seven, but it wasn't. He wasn't sure if it was because these fifteen girls were competing with each other for the heart of his best friend, and he was just a pawn in that game, or if it was because for the last week he hadn't been able to get his mind off of a certain brunette.

She really was stunning; to the point it took his breath away. Her natural ebony curls and her skin that seemed to glow with the sun made his heart ache just at one look, and Troy couldn't remember ever seeing someone as beautiful as Gabriella Montez.

"Hey Troy!" A high pitched voice broke his thoughts. He turned and saw Kaycee, a petite blonde sitting on the couch in the living room looking at him with bright eyes. "Come watch TV with us!"

She patted the seat next to her, and he looked at the other end of the couch. A leggy redhead was sitting in a way-too-revealing shirt looking up at him with luring eyes that said, _'Yeah, Troy. Come sit with us.'_

He shifted his eyes to the TV and saw they were watching a melodramatic MTV show, and winced. "That's okay. I think I'm just going to grab a bite to eat. Maybe later though."

He watched as their hopeful eyes fell and he quickly turned and walked away before they could stop him again.

Once he had arrived in the kitchen he saw that Jameson had prepared deli sandwiches for lunch. The large tray looked like it had barely been touched, and Troy glanced back to the living room where the rest of the girls had been watching TV. He wondered for a moment if they knew there was food ready, and then realized they probably did. Bread _did_ have carbs.

Placing his food on a plate, he swiftly grabbed a bottle of water and left the kitchen, and headed towards the only room, besides his bedroom and bathroom, he felt comfortable in. Michael had dubbed the room as the dead zone, referring to the lack of cameras in the room. A select few of the girls called it the safe room - one could do _anything_ in the room and be safe from humiliation or torment from the cameras. The rest had an array of names for it: the badlands, the ghetto, a hole in the wall, to name a few. Most of the girls in the house wouldn't be caught dead in the room, and because of this, Troy found it refreshing. It was one of the only places in the house he did really did feel comfortable in.

As he turned the corner into the room, the sight in front of him shocked him. Gabriella was standing in front of the couch, her hands on her head, as she screamed at the TV.

"Oh come on!"

* * *

Taylor nervously sipped her water and glanced around the table. She was seated directly across from Chad at the small restaurant they were currently at, with two girls on either side of her. To her calculations, she was the _farthest _one from him. She also realized a few moments ago that she was the only one who wasn't blonde, and was the only one who wasn't wearing a very revealing top. And all of this made her uncomfortable.

In high school she had never been the popular girl, or even close to being popular. She was captain of the scholastic decathlon team, and graduated top of her class. She was president of the student council, and captain of the girl's tennis team. Throughout school, she had always had an issue with not fitting in, and knew that there was no way she would ever look like the skinny blondes that everyone seemed to be in love with. She had curves, and she always would.

She started to wonder why Chad even wanted her to stay. Out of the fifteen girls in the house, she could say twelve of them looked the same. Extremely skinny, large breasts and gorgeous light colored hair. They all had legs to die for, and complexion you only saw in movies. Besides herself, and Chloe, a dark haired Italian beauty, the only girl who seemed semi-different was Gabriella.

They had just ordered their meals, another incident that sent Taylor into a nervous conniption, and were discussing what each of them did for a living.

"So you run a tanning booth?" Chad asked the girl to his left. The girl grinned seductively and Taylor wanted to laugh. She couldn't figure out what was sexy about working in a tanning salon, but a lot of things lately seemed to slip by her.

"That sounds very interesting. Taylor, what is it you do?" Chad asked, and Taylor couldn't help that for the first time he genuinely sounded interested. _'Don't get your hopes up._' She scolded herself.

"I'm a pediatrician." She responded sweetly. If there was thing she was sure of, it was that she loved her job.

The girl to her left looked at her and narrowed her eyes in confusion. "You work with people's feet?"

Before Taylor could respond, Chad erupted in laughter causing all eyes to shift in his direction. "No, no, Melanie. That's a podiatrist. Taylor is a pediatrician - a doctor that works with children."

The girl shot Taylor a dark look, before looking back at Chad. "Oh, silly me."

Chad ignored the comment before his met Taylor's again. "You must have a really big heart. I'm sure that can be rough at times."

Taylor gave him a small smile. "It can, but it's also very rewarding."

Chad nodded his head and turned to the next girl, smiling back over at Taylor for a split second, sending butterflies to her stomach.

Who cares if she wasn't blonde? She could do this. She could win Chad's heart.

* * *

Troy looked past the petite figure in front of him and at the TV. The blue and yellow uniforms stood out against the opposing white ones, and the classic striped helmet registered in his mind. She was watching football?

"Mind if I join you?" He asked, and almost laughed as she whipped around in surprise.

"No! I, uh, of course not!" Her shocked voice croaked out, and she timidly looked away. "Was I being too loud?"

Troy laughed. "No, I was just trying to escape and ended up back here. I completely forgot it was even Saturday. How bad is that? I would have missed all the action."

Gabriella watched as he walked around and sat down on the couch, and she followed his lead. "Sports Center has great replays. I'm sure you wouldn't have missed ALL the action." She teased.

Deep in the pit of his stomach, Troy felt something pull. He looked over and genuinely smiled at the girl who was always throwing him for a loop. "I guess that's true. So I take it you're a U of M fan?"

Gabriella's eyes lit up and she nodded at him with a wide grin. "It was my dad's alma mater. He actually played for the Wolverines."

He smiled at her sincere excitement. "I thought you were from New Mexico?"

"I am. But after my father passed away, my mom moved us to be closer to her family in Alburqueque."

Gabriella kept on smiling, but Troy noticed the slight falter in the perfect grin. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Gabriella placed her hand on his arm, and sparks shot through his veins. "You didn't. I can't be sad today. My father loved watching Michigan play. Most of my favorite memories with him are because of college football."

Troy stared at her for a moment. This was real, and he couldn't get around how amazing the girl sitting next to him was.

"What position did he play?"

The excitement in Gabriella's eyes lit up at the question. "Running back. He has the third highest amount of yards in a single season in U of M history."

"Wow, that's impressive." Troy responded honestly.

"Yeah. I think I was born with his passion for the game. Eva could care less. She tells people she's a Michigan fan for the sake of tradition, but she was never one to get into the game. I can still remember the way he looked when he was watching his Wolverines play. It was our thing, the one thing that only we shared."

To most people, it would have looked like Gabriella was simply watching the game as she said this, but Troy noticed the faraway look in her eyes – the one that landed just to the left of the large TV in front of them.

"Well, at least you still have that to remember him by."

She slowly nodded her head and shifted her eyes so that she was looking straight at him. They stayed that way for several moments, staring into each other souls. Gabriella felt her chest grow warm as she looked deep into the incredible blue orbs, her breath suddenly catching in her throat.

It was Gabriella who first broke the stare, shifting her eyes slowly to the TV screen. She quickly flashed them back to her side and noticed Troy was still looking at her. A shy smile spread across her face and she looked back at the screen. She was suddenly afraid that he would be able to hear the loud pounding of her heart from where he was sitting, and be able to see the faint blush that she could feel burning on her cheeks.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. She was supposed to be falling for Chad, not the blue eyed god sitting a mere three feet away from her. But she was falling, and she didn't know what to do about it.

* * *

**_okay, so whatcha think?? the story is finally starting to develop. i planned out most of the story and i think it's going to be one of my longer stories. who knows. please review!_**


	6. Somebody Like You

* * *

_There's a new wind blowin' like I've never known.  
I'm breathin' deeper than I've ever done.  
And it sure feels good, to finally feel the way I do.  
I wanna love somebody,  
Love somebody like you.  
And I'm lettin' go of all my lonely yesterdays.  
I've forgiven myself for the mistakes I've made.  
Now there's just one thing, the only thing I wanna do.  
I wanna love somebody,  
Love somebody like you.  
Yeah, I wanna feel the sunshine,  
Shinin' down on me and you.  
When you put your arms around me,  
You let me know there's nothing in this world I can't do._

"Somebody Like You" - Keith Urban

* * *

He was perfect. Completely and utterly perfect. From his eyes to his hair, and all the way down to his perfect feet.

She couldn't stop thinking about him. After spending the day together yesterday, and learning so much more about him, she had gone to bed thinking of how wonderful he really was, and she was pretty sure she had dreamt about him in her sleep.

There were moments yesterday she couldn't speak. Sometimes he would shift his eyes so he was looking at her, and only her, and it made her feel like the most beautiful woman on earth.

Taylor shifted in her bed and sighed. It was still rather early, but she couldn't sleep. Chad Danforth was running wild in her mind, and she knew he wasn't going anywhere soon. She just couldn't get over how great the guy really was.

"Gabi, you awake?" She called out quietly, not wanting to wake the girl at the far end of the room.

Gabriella turned on her side at the sound of her friend's voice, and looked over to where Taylor was laying. She nodded her head slowly.

Of course she was awake. How could she sleep when her insides were in complete turmoil? She didn't even want to be on this stupid show, but her sister said it would be a good experience. She wasn't interested in Chad Danforth, but she came on the show anyways. And it seemed that fate was biting her in the ass. Because she was falling in love, just not with the guy she was supposed to.

"You wanna go downstairs?" Taylor whispered, and once again Gabriella nodded her head. She needed out of this bed. The only thing it made her think of was how great it would be if Troy were here next to her, and she couldn't be thinking like _that_. She wanted to get lost in the details on Taylor's date. To forget everything that happened yesterday. To forget the way his eyes felt when they gazed her way, how it felt as if they could see into her soul. Or the way his hands sent sparks through her body every time they grazed her skin. She wanted to forget how his voice sounded. How its sound was like a song she so longed to hear again.

She pushed herself out of bed, and padded quietly across the room, grabbing a sweatshirt on her way out. She knew Taylor was behind her, and the two girls made their way downstairs to living room that opened up at the bottom of the staircase.

Gabriella plopped herself down on the large chaise and pulled a blanket around her and watched as Taylor did the same in the chair next to her.

"So, how did it go?" Gabriella asked sincerely.

Taylor took a deep breath, letting a long sigh that erupted into a wide grin. "Perfect."

Gabriella wanted to laugh. She knew Taylor was head over heels for Chad, but she also knew the details of the date. Very big details - four very gorgeous and flirty details. "Yeah? What did you guys do?"

"We went to lunch at this really nice restaurant where we talked for hours, and then we went to this club and danced. It was so much fun."

Gabriella smiled, praying to God that it looked sincere to her friend, and nodded her head enthusiastically. "That definitely sounds like fun."

Taylor smiled, and the girls sat for a few moments in silence.

"And I really think he was interested in me Gabi." Taylor said, her voice quieter than before, almost as if it would be untrue if she said it too loud.

"More than everyone else?" Gabriella asked, breaking the ice on the other four women who attended the date.

Taylor slowly nodded her head, and a small smile fell onto her face. "I think so. I mean, I'm a really smart girl, and I know how people act, but there was just something about the way he looked at me. You know?"

Gabriella nodded her head, completely understanding. It was the way she felt when two blue orbs looked her way. Something about it that was almost impossible to explain.

"I just felt like I really was the only girl there at times. Like I was the only one that mattered." Taylor's voice was still low, but Gabriella figured it was more for privacy than anything else.

"That's great Tay. I'm so happy it went well for you." Gabriella smiled earnestly.

It was then that everything registered in Taylor's mind. Gabriella was going on the date with Chad tonight. She was one of the other fourteen girls who were competing with Taylor for Chad's heart. And here Taylor was spilling every little detail on how she felt, and Gabriella wasn't the slightest bit jealous.

"Aren't you mad?" Taylor asked suddenly causing Gabriella's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Why on earth would I be mad?"

Taylor bit her lip. "I'm pretty much telling you how great my date with Chad was, and you're going on one tonight. I'm sorry."

Gabriella realized what Taylor was saying, and knew that she probably should be jealous. All the other girls in the house would have been. She opened her mouth to tell Taylor about Troy, but her eyes caught the tiny camera perched at the corner of the room and hesitated. She looked back at Taylor and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey don't sweat it. I'm glad you feel like you can talk to me. I haven't been on my date, and _who knows_ how that's gonna go." She giggled sarcastically. "But don't feel like you can't talk to me, okay?"

Taylor nodded her head, smiling gratefully at her friend.

"Good morning girls!" A voice interrupted their conversation and both turned to see Troy coming around the corner.

"Morning!" Taylor responded cheerfully before looking over at her new friend.

"Good morning." Gabriella answered with a shy smile, her demeanor completely different from before. Taylor watched as the two stared at each other for a few moments, almost as if they completely forgot she was in the room. Glancing back and forth between the two, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Man, I'm starved!" Another voice cut through the room, and the two staring at each other looked away and up at the figure standing behind Troy. "Has J made breakfast yet?"

Chad was wearing a pair of sweats and a beater that made Taylor's stomach twist. Their eyes met for a few moments and a smile appeared on Chad's face.

"I was just going to figure that out for myself." Troy told his best friend, his eyes flickering over to the brunette on the chaise before looking back at Chad. "You girls care to join us?"

With that, Gabriella and Taylor pushed themselves up off of the couches and followed the boys into the kitchen.

* * *

"That's not what you're wearing Gabi." Taylor scolded her friend.

Gabriella looked down at the outfit she was wearing and narrowed her eyes in confusion. She liked the navy blouse with light skinny jeans complete with her navy blue flats. She was comfortable, and she knew it looked good. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Taylor let out a deep sigh making Gabriella feel like she was a twelve year old in trouble. "Okay first, jeans? You're not going to wear a dress or even a skirt? You have killer legs Gabi and you should show them off. Second, you're hardly showing any cleavage. Are you going bowling with your best friend or on a date with Chad freaking Danforth? "

Gabriella could see Taylor's point, and if she were on the other side of the fence she probably would have scolded Taylor as well. Maybe if she were going out with Chad's best friend she'd be worried about her attire. "Look Tay, this is what I'm wearing. I like what I'm wearing, and I think it'll be okay. Don't be mad."

Taylor's face softened and she took the petite girl in her arms. "I'm not mad. I just didn't want you to walk down those steps and feel self-conscious like I did yesterday."

"But you looked awesome yesterday."

"That's beside the point, Gabi. If you like what you're wearing then that's all that matters."

Gabriella pulled back from the hug and smiled at the dark skinned girl. "Thanks Tay. Here I go."

"Knock him dead." Taylor repeated her friend's words from yesterday.

* * *

Troy felt as though his heart was in a vice grip slowly being tightened as he watched Gabriella descend the stairs and join the other four girls waiting for Chad. He had to sit at home and wait while she was out on a date with his best friend? It was like torture.

He couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between her and every other girl in the room. They were all overdone – too much make-up and too little clothing – but Gabriella stood there in a league of her own. She was so god-damned beautiful it almost hurt. Her shirt accentuated the curves in her waist and breast, and her jeans fit her to a tee. He looked away, almost afraid of the effects of her appearance tonight.

Chad appeared moments later, and he watched as she followed the group out the door, pausing a moment to look back at him before walking out the door.

Torture was an understatement. This was going to be hell.

* * *

Gabriella tried to control her laughter. She had never realized Chad was so funny. The girls around her stared at her like she was an exhibit at a freak show, but she didn't care.

They were at a restaurant, one probably very similar to the one Taylor and the girls had gone to the day before, and were telling stories about their families. Chad had just shared one about the first time his mother met Troy, and Gabriella couldn't control the laughter that erupted out of her throat.

She could see why everyone was in love with Chad. He really was a great guy, and she could feel a pull in her stomach towards him. But she couldn't deny that pull was different than the one she felt when she was around Troy. Being around Chad was like being around an older brother. It was playful and fun and lighthearted. He was cute, but she wasn't attracted to him in the way she should be. And the feelings were refreshing to her.

She had only been in the house a week, and had the start of two really good friends. Not to mention, a really good possibility of someone she could actually see herself in a relationship with.

Well, in a perfect world that is.

* * *

**_another review! i don't know where the inspiration is coming from but i've been on a roll lately!_**

**_please review!_**


	7. In My Head

_okay. So I realized it's been years since I started this story. And I've been through a whirlwind of a time and figured I would just give up fanfiction altogether. But, I found some old files on my computer and was incredibly sad I never finished half of my stories. So here you go. This story is already written and finished on my computer. And if I get a review I'll keep posting chapters. I really hope you all still like it! I'm so sorry!_

* * *

_Just leave with me now, say the word and we'll go_

_I'll be your teacher, I'll show you the ropes  
__You'll see a side of love you've never known  
__I can see it going down, going down in my head_

_**'**_In My Head' - Jason Derulo

Michael Stokes sat in his office overlooking downtown Los Angeles with his two biggest clients sitting in front of him. It was amazing what they had been through together in the past ten years. He could still remember the day he had met Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth as clear as blue sky. His niece and nephew, Sharpay and Ryan Evans, were starring in their junior year high school musical. His sister, the kids mother, had begged for him to come out and watch them. Michael had recently given up his career as an insurance agent to try and make it in the entertainment industry. His sister had told him that Ryan and Sharpay could be his first two clients. So he went.

The musical had been decent enough, and his sister was right, the kids had talent. But not for film, and he told her that after the show. That the kids needed to pack up after high school and hit the streets of New York City. Their talent wouldn't go unnoticed there. He was, however, struck by one of the supporting actors in the play. A young blue eyed teenage boy who had the package deal. He could sing, dance, act and after talking to his nephew, he learned that Troy was a bit of an overachiever in his school. Captain of the basketball team, Junior Class President. He was obviously somebody people liked, and Michael could see this kid becoming a star.

So, a few weeks later he set up a meeting with Troy and his parents and explained his wish to work with Troy. He was met with laughter from Troy and his father, and a dumbfounded look from his mother. Clearly, this kid had other plans for his future. A few weeks later, however, Troy outreached to Michael and asked if he could arrange another meeting. They met at a local coffee shop, and there Troy came with his best friend, Chad Danforth. Michael explained that the industry was hard to work into, but he thought that Troy could do it. That there was a movie out there now that he felt Troy was perfect for the role. It wasn't until after an hour with the two teenagers he realized he may have actors to fill both roles for the film he had had in mind for Troy. And it was all downhill from there. Troy and Chad had made him one of the most successful managers in Hollywood. And he wasn't going to let anything mess that up now.

"Alright boys, I have the ratings from the first episode." He said looking at them both.

Chad looked on eagerly while Troy dropped his head into his hands. What he needed on top of all of this was to hear his career would be soon falling into the gutter.

"And?" Chad asked.

"I think it's going to be a hit. Now, these numbers are preliminary and it's only the first episode so we really won't know if this keeps up. But 'I Want To Marry Chad Danforth' was the most watched show on Thursday night."

"Yes!" Chad exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. He reached over to give his best friend a high five, only to find Troy's head still in his hands. "Troy! Did you hear that?!"

Troy looked up, and met his friend with a hand slap. "It's fantastic man."

Inside, Troy was in turmoil. At least his career was safe for the time being. He joined this show to help his friend. He knew that by doing that, his career could tank as well. It wasn't, thankfully, at least for right now. But he also knew that by this show going on, he had to endure watching more dates between Gabriella and Chad. He had to watch as his best friend got to wine and dine the girl he knew he was falling in love with.

"So here's the plan from here on out," Michael interrupted his thoughts. "Every episode from here on out one girl will be eliminated. We'll do a series of group and individual dates. When we get down to three or four contestants, depending on funding for the show, we're going to fly you and the girls home to meet their families. Which can be very exciting."

"Both of us?" Troy asked confused.

"No, probably not." Michael responded. "We'll leave you at home with the girls there. Hopefully get some footage of best friend and potential 'wife.' I think it'll have a heartwarming aspect to the viewers, you caring so much about your friends' welfare and love life. Now Chad," he said turning to the darker skinned man. "I need you to interact with all the girls. Right now the reactions to the girls are all pretty equal. There are a few who having more favorable reviews, but we need to get more footage of you with all the girls. Help America form their opinions."

"So I really won't be picking girls I actually like?" Chad asked, slightly disappointed.

"Not entirely," Michael responded. "But we will make a collection of yours and America's favorites. Your opinion will come first, of course. And Troy, anything you have to throw in will help, as well. Any other questions guys?"

Troy and Chad shook their heads in response.

"Let's go make some great reality TV!"

* * *

That night, Gabriella, Taylor and the rest of the girls sat with Chad and Troy around what may be the largest dinner table she'd ever seen. Eliminations were later this evening, so tonight's mood was a little somber. She couldn't deny she sort of hoped to go home. She wasn't normally the smoothest girl when it came to dating or men, but she knew there was something going on with Troy. She could tell by the way his electric blue eyes would meet hers every so often, and he would respond with that incredibly sexy smile. She knew by the way he found ways to be alone with her in the mansion. The two of them spending more time than they should watching movies and football in the safe room. Those were some of her favorite moments, those secret moments with Troy. They were hers. Not the rest of the mansions, or America's for that matter.

She also knew that if she went home, seeing Troy ever again would be slim to none. Who was she kidding? Maybe right now, in this house, he found her…. entertaining. But what happened when the show was over. Who was she to compete with California girls? With other celebrities? She was pretty sure she remembered reading in her magazine that Troy was currently dating some supermodel or was seen around town with some tall leggy blonde. She was not tall. She was not leggy. And she definitely wasn't blonde.

She took a bite of her food. At least the food was amazing. She looked up across the table and was met, yet again with those two eyes that sent shivers down her body every single time.

"So Chad, Troy," Melanie, a gorgeous yoga instructor from South Carolina asked, "What's next for you guys? Any movies?"

Chad was the first to respond. "At the moment, I'm concentrating on this show. It's time for changing my life, ya know?" He said in his most charming voice. He knew this would be perfect moment for the show. "I have a few projects I'm looking at down the road, but as for right now, my current project is Chad Danforth. I want to experience a different, better side of life. I'm ready to fall in love."

He paused a moment, and looked around the table. "In fact, I think I may already be starting to."

Across the table Troy rolled his eyes as the girls responded with a collective, "awe."

"What about you Troy?" Melanie's smooth southern draw cut back in. She looked over the man with a sickly sweet look that made Gabriella's fists curl into balls. "I heard you may be filming the newest Nicholas Sparks film. Is that true?"

Troy nodded his head and took a drink of the wine in front of him. "Actually, yes that's true. We start filming in a few months near Wilmington. One of the amazing perks of my job, I get paid to spend months on the beautiful beaches of North Carolina."

"Wilmington is so beautiful," She responded, and batted her eyelashes at the man in front of her. "You'll absolutely love it."

Gabriella was never one to be a jealous person, but she needed to change the subject, and fast. The looks Melanie were giving Troy were not to her liking.

"Chad, what was it like working with Tom Cruise in your last film?" She asked before Melanie could say anything more. Her eyes flickered quickly to Troy's before looking back to Chad.

* * *

Taylor sat in the sitting room outside her and Gabriella's room (in a dress she was pretty sure cost more than a month's salary back home) waiting for her new friend to finish getting ready. She was pretty thankful for Gabriella. She was surrounded by supermodel wannabes and it seemed that Gabriella was the only one she could even semi relate to. Not that Gabriella wasn't insanely gorgeous, she was. But she had this natural beauty about her. She didn't need makeup to enhance eyes that were naturally smoky, and her hair fell in gorgeous ebony waves. Not that Gabriella knew it, Taylor was aware of that. She could tell her new friend was very much like her - extremely self conscious. As her friend stepped out of the room, the navy blue strapless silk dress enhancing every curve and making her bronze skin glow, Taylor knew that Gabriella had no idea that she was far prettier than any of the girls in this house.

"Taylor, you look incredible." Gabriella genuinely smiled at her. "I mean seriously, that color. It's brilliant. And you just look, wow. Chad's not gonna know what hit him."

"Thanks Gabs. You always know what to say to make me less nervous. If that's possible." She smiled. "You look great too."

Gabriella sat in the chair next to her friend, as Taylor continued.

"I really don't want to go home tonight."

"Me neither." Gabriella responded, surprised she actually meant it. She really did want to stay. She wanted to stay and continue lying to everyone around her. To herself. To the house. To her family. To the entire country. But she knew that by staying she got to spend more time with Troy. And she wouldn't trade that for the world.

"Let's talk about something different." Taylor interrupted her thoughts. "If I sit here and dwell on this, I'll lose my mind. Why are you here? Shouldn't someone like you be happily married by now?"

"Someone like me?" Gabriella asked surprised and giggled at the question. "What's that mean? Couldn't I ask you the same, Taylor?"

Taylor shook her head. "I'm a workaholic. I know that, and it's killed previous relationships. I entered this competition 100% sure I wouldn't get picked. But when I did, I told myself it would change. I love my job, I do. I love the kids and their families and helping people. But I've got to think about me too. So being here was sort of like a wake up call. Going forward, I come first."

Gabriella gave her friend a sideways smile and nodded. "I look at my sister and see how blissfully happy she is. Her husband is gone days at a time at a job that could potentially risk his life at any moment, but I know that Eva would never change anything. I've never had anything like that. Someone who makes me happy even when I'm at my lowest point. Someone who just by smiling at me takes away every worry or fear."

She paused a moment. "I mean, I get it. I'm a hopeless romantic who watches too many romantic comedies. But I know it's real. My parents were married at 18, and they spent 26 years before he passed away. And I see her now, he was the one for her. He'll always be it for her. Eva's the same way. So I tried to date. I had several relationships I thought might be something, and let me tell you, they were jerks. Guys that made me believe I was the one messing it up. Guys that made me believe I was nothing. I think it was Oscar Wilde who said, "never love anyone who treats you like you're ordinary." So after that I just gave up."

A cough was heard behind them and Gabriella turned to see the man that was slowly taking over her heart. How long had he been standing there? Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"I wanted to let you guys know they're ready for you downstairs."

"Oh, uh, I, uh, thanks Troy." Gabriella stammered, received a confused look from her friend next to her.

Troy turned to go down the stairs, but turned to look at the women behind him. "And for the record, Chad would be an idiot to let either of you go home tonight. You both look stunning."

* * *

Once again, Gabriella was completely dumbfounded. Her and Taylor were apart of the top 9 girls on the show. After the eliminations, the remaining girls along with Troy and Chad had champagne on the back porch. It had been a beautiful evening for it. The sky was clear, and the weather was absolutely perfect. In any other situation, the entire thing would seem entirely normal. Drinks and celebrations with friends under the Californian stars. Okay, well maybe not normal, but definitely nice.

Her mind was running all over the place, and she knew sleep wasn't coming any time soon. She quietly crawled out of bed and gathered her running shoes. Back home, she ran all the time. With her job and her family, sometimes it was the only time she got 30-40 minutes to herself. It was also better than any psychiatry or therapy visit to help sort out your thoughts.

As she made her way downstairs, she heard a few voices in the living room and recognized a few of the girls watching a movie with Chad. '_Nothing like a late night movie to make some steamy shots for the latest episode.'_ She thought to herself.

She briefly stretched before taking off down one of the paths through the backyard.

* * *

Troy had left the living room 30 minutes ago, fully aware his presence wasn't going to be missed. He had quickly changed into a pair of shorts and cut off t-shirt. Grabbing his shoes and basketball he made his way outside. In high school, basketball was his everything. He used to think it was be his career. It wasn't until Michael showed up that everything changed. Not that he regretted his life. He loved his job, and he still had basketball as something he loved. Had he played in college or professionally, he might have lost his love for it. And that would have been a shame. His love for the game came from his father, who was still the coach back at his high school.

He dribbled a few times before shooting the ball and sinking a perfect basket. Maybe he could talk to Michael. Come clean about everything. But what if Gabriella didn't feel the same? He would make a fool of himself, and probably her too. And how would Chad feel? Would he be upset? Did he even like Gabriella?

His thoughts were disrupted by the sounds of footsteps and he looked over to see the girl who had been torturing his thoughts approaching him. He could feel his heartbeat speed up as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a tightly fitted sports tank, spandex shorts, and blue tennis shoes - all classic athletic items. But as he scanned her outfit, the shortness of her shorts and the overall collection left nothing to the imagination. As if he already had trouble breathing around her.

"Hey Troy!" her voice broke his thoughts and he smiled at her.

"Hey you. Out for a late night run?"

"No, I was actually just testing this outfit for my date tomorrow with Chad. What do you think?" She giggled as she turned in a circle as if she were showing off a dress.

"I'm not sure they'd let you in the restaurant dressed like that Miss Montez." Troy said smirking at her.

Gabriella giggled again and slowly walked closer to him. If his breathing problem wasn't evident now, it surely would be soon. Gabriella stopped when she was within a foot from him and looked up at him through her dark, thick eyelashes. "You don't think so?" She asked innocently.

Troy opened his mouth to respond. But before he was able to, Gabriella reached out and stole the basketball from him. She squealed with excitement and jumped backward, protecting the ball against her side. "Whatcha gonna do now?"

Troy took a step closer and went to guard Gabriella. She tried to move to the right but Troy was there to stop her. She giggled and inched to the left. Before she could move again, Troy leaned forward and tickled her side, causing her to drop the ball and she tried to put her hands up in defense of his attack. Troy picked her up, continuing to tickle her side as he did so. Gabriella's laughter was uncontrollable and her arms found their way to Troy's shoulders, trying to push him away to stop the torture.

Troy looked up and realized Gabriella's face was mere centimeters away from his and he stopped. Her eyes locked onto his, she licked her lips and snaked her arms around his back. Slowly Troy slid Gabriella back to the ground, his eyes never leaving hers.

They stood that way for several moments before Troy coughed, her arms quickly dropping to her sides and they both stepped away from each other. Gabriella's cheeks felt on fire, and she looked everywhere but at Troy.

"Bet you can't beat me in HORSE." Troy challenged, quickly erasing the tension around them. Gabriella's eyes sparkled as the snapped to his.

"Oh, you're on!"

Back inside the house, Suzanne stood and watched the scene in front of her. Here she had thought both her roomies were a bunch of innocent ninnies. Apparently she was wrong. But she definitely didn't like the game Gabriella was playing.

* * *

Gabriella had been smiling since she walked back into the house 45 minutes ago. She quietly made her way back up to her room, showered, and was now lying in bed thinking about the evening. She could swear Troy was gonna kiss her. She could swear that when she was standing there she could see it in his eyes. The desire to have her lips on his just as much as she wanted his. How on earth was she ever going to sleep tonight?

"You'd better be a little more careful."

Gabriella shot up out of bed to see Suzanne sitting in hers across the room.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella asked.

"I saw you being all buddy-buddy with Troy downstairs. The competition is for Chad's heart. Don't think for a moment that you can win by messing around with Troy. And I think that's grounds for being disqualified." Suzanne retorted.

"Oh that?" Gabriella was sure her voice was three octaves above than normal. "I was out for a run and he was out there playing basketball. We played a game of HORSE. Honest. I'm just like you and the rest of the girls - absolutely smitten, Suzanne."

"With Chad?" Suzanne's voice was laced with doubt.

"Yes with Chad." Gabriella lied. "I was out there asking about him and Chad growing up. Why would I have entered a contest to marry Chad if it wasn't what I wanted?"

They sat there in silence a few moments, signifying to Gabriella that Suzanne believed her. "Goodnight Suzanne! See you in the morning!"

And before Suzanne could say anything else she quickly laid back down and forced herself to fall asleep.

* * *

_there you have it!_


	8. Wanted

Can we talk about how amazing y'all are? Thank you so much for the warm reviews and making it easy to get back into this. _ChasingGhosts,_ thank you so much! My plan is to post the chapters I have of this finished, and work on finishing the other stories while I do so. Thank you for the encouragement! _Wildcats 2016,_ patience :) I promise I'll get the rest of the story up soon and you can find out for yourself. I don't wanna give it away for you!

* * *

_You know I'd fall apart without you  
I don't know how you do what you do  
'Cause everything that don't make sense about me  
Makes sense when I'm with you_

_Like everything that's green, girl, I need you_  
_But it's more than one and one makes two_  
_Put aside the math and the logic of it_  
_You gotta know you're wanted too_

_'Cause I wanna wrap you up_  
_Wanna kiss your lips_  
_I wanna make you feel wanted_  
_And I wanna call you mine_  
_Wanna hold your hand forever_  
_And never let you forget it_  
_Yeah, I, I wanna make you feel wanted_

'Wanted' - Hunter Hayes

* * *

"How is everything back home?" Gabriella asked her sister. She knew most of her housemates were outside at the pool, and she herself was dressed in her swimsuit and ready to go join them. She just needed a moment or two to call her family. It was amazing to her how much she could miss them, and she'd really only been gone a few weeks.

"You don't really want to hear about boring Albuquerque do you? It's the same as it always was." Eva laughed into the phone.

Gabriella sighed. "Can't a girl call her sister when she misses her?"

"She can." Eva laughed. "Her sister just wants to remind her it's just mere mortals on this end of the phone. We don't get to hang out with America's finest."

Gabriella gave in and laughed. "You act like they're aliens. And I'm mostly surrounded by a bunch of girls, who are nobodies like me. It's just Troy and Chad here that makes it a big deal."

"Oh, how terribly unfortunate for you."

"Eva! I don't even know why I missed you. You're always teasing me." She could hear her older sister rumbling moving things around on the other end of the line. "You aren't doing anything to strain yourself are you? If you hurt my little niece or nephew, it's your neck I'm coming after."

Eva was quiet for a few moments. "Gabi? There is something I do actually need to tell you."

Gabriella felt her heart shoot up into her throat. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Remember how you told me you weren't sure the world could handle another Eva Radelle?" her sister asked, the playfulness in her voice quickly easing Gabriella's concerns.

"Yeah? Unless she gets the good genes and ends up like me." She laughed.

"Well, maybe_ he'll_ get the good genes." Eva stated.

"He? You mean you found out?! I thought you were waiting!" Gabriella exclaimed.

"I couldn't resist. Scott and I were at the doctors office talking about baby names, and the doctor just asked. We both caved. Scott is so excited. He's already started with the basketball onesies."

"Oh my gosh! That's amazing. I'm so happy for you guys. I cannot wait to meet the little guy."

"Just two more months and he'll be here. Look out world. But anyways, PLEASE tell me about what's going on there. We went to a party down at The Foxhole for the premiere. They had Gabriella specials all evening."

"What? No they didn't!"

"Honest to God's truth. I also read a review on the internet about it. The show's gonna be a hit. And people love you. They think you're down to earth. You and that doctor girl."

"Taylor?"

"Yeah, her. She seems nice. Tell me about him though. Is he as dreamy in person?"

Gabriella paused a moment as she thought of Troy the night before. The sleeves on his t-shirt were cut so low she could see the contours of his abs. Sure, she had seen them dozens of times in his movies. It seemed every director in town knew 30 seconds of Troy shirtless would sell out any theatre. But when he had picked her up she actually could feel the muscles there and down his shoulders and back, and oh my, there were no words. Those blue eyes on screen were piercing, but nothing could match them in person. And that smile. Oh my gosh that smile. And charm? Every time he spoke to her she turned into jell-o.

"You have no idea." she whispered.

"Well then go get him! You've gotta win Gabi! Win Chad Danforth's heart!"

Her sister's words brought her out of her reverie.

Oh, right.

"Hey Gabriella." she heard behind her and smiled when she saw Troy standing in the doorway, swimming trunks and beach towel around his neck. "Are you gonna join us? The water is perfect!"

"I'll be right there." She said covering the mouthpiece to the phone. "Eva," she into the receiver. "I gotta go. Troy just walked in. We're going swimming."

"Troy!" Eva exclaimed excitedly. "Wait, Gabi!"

"Bye Eva, love you! Send my love to Mom and Scott!"

* * *

Taylor sat in the dark room with no words. Michael had come up with a new idea for a "confessions booth" of sorts. A place each week they had to come into and speak about whatever was on their mind. Or answer questions. She had seen done before on plenty of reality shows. She had actually always wondered how they worked. The only thing she did know - it was extremely uncomfortable. She felt as though she were in the _Blair Witch Project _or something.

"Anything you'd like to say, miss?" The man behind the camera asked.

"Anything?"

"That's what we have this set up for. You can talk about the show, the other girls, Chad. Anything."

"Oh, okay." She hesitated again.

"I have some questions if that would help." The man offered, Taylor nodding her head in response.

"What's it like competing with these girls you're living with? Are there any you're worried about? Any of them your friends?"

"Well," she started. "Some of these girls are professionals. You can tell it. They have this mastered. Making men fall in love with them. Me, I'm clueless. I never know what's working, what I should do. So that's kind of hard.

There are some, though, that make me happy to have come on the show." She paused, smiling. "Cause I'm pretty good at math. Brilliant at math actually. So I know my odds on winning this show. But I know that my odds of leaving with new friends are 100%. And that's pretty great.

I guess in all, the whole show is sort of surreal. I've never really fit in, but never have I doubted myself. I graduated with honors from high school, college and med school. But being here in this place, I'm more nervous than ever. These girls are gorgeous. I know that I've made it this far, but I'm not stupid. I'm surrounded by beautiful women and I just don't know what chance I really have. I don't know. I just really, really think I'm starting to fall in love with Chad."

She stopped, noticing tears welling up in her eyes. "Is it okay if I go now?"

"You sure can."

* * *

Troy sat with Chad inside the booth. Michael was allowing the women to each go in individually to say whatever they'd like, at least for the first time. He explained going forward he would use the confession room as a way to ask the girls specific questions.

He and Chad, however, were set up in the booth together. Michael had given Troy a list of questions to ask Chad, 'nonchalantly' of course. Michael wanted it to look like a conversation between the close friends.

"This is all pretty insane, isn't it?" Troy asked.

"That's one way to put it." Chad laughed. "I feel like our lives have always been crazy. Don't get me wrong-good crazy. This is just, something I never thought I'd live through. I'm living in a house with 9 beautiful girls. Maybe fall in love with one of them. And the craziest thing about it is that this isn't a movie. This is my life. This is all real. No one's gonna yell cut. My life, my career, and most importantly - my heart are all on the line."

"You ready for that?"

"What love?" Chad asked, smiling. "I didn't think I was. But, like they say it always sneaks up on you in the most unexpected ways."

"So, what do you think of the girls?" _'Because guys really only talk about women and sex' _Troy sarcastically thought to himself.

Chad paused a moment. "They're great, man. All of them. But they're all so different. I hate to sound all 'Forrest Gump' on ya Troy, but this really is like a box of chocolates. And I'm really hoping I get one of those delicious caramel filled ones."

Troy laughed and rolled his eyes at his friend. "I watched the first episode. It looks like you hit it off with a couple of them. And, I do live here Chad." He laughed. "There are definitely sparks flying with these girls. Like Melanie."

Troy was an actor. He made a living on telling stories and playing parts. And he had never felt more artificial than he did at that moment. How do you work in 9 different girls names into a casual 5 minutes conversation?

"Melanie is… something. She's a fireball." Chad chuckled. "That girl knows what she wants."

"In some ways," Troy responded. "Do you think there's more to her than what you see up front?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping she starts to open up, and if she doesn't I guess it's time to move on. There's actually a couple I'm hoping to see more from."

"Oh yeah, like who?"

"Well, Suzanne always has the perfect answers. Always put together. I guess maybe I want some…some… some vulnerability. Or something. Which I know is hard this early in the game, but I feel like she's got her marketing face on. I'm not a client, ya know? I'm hoping to be a lot more than that!"

"Well, f you were going for vulnerability, I feel like you've seen a lot of that, too." Troy quipped. "Although, I can throw myself in that bus. Some of these girls share way too much information."

He shuddered at the thought. One night he walked out onto the back patio (hoping to find Gabriella) only to find one of the girls in a huddled mess with a glass of wine in hand. It didn't take too long to figure out she had consumed the entire empty bottle next to it, and he spent the next two hours going over whether or not Chad would understand all of the issues she suffered between ages 16-18. It was one of those moments '_Nice guy Troy' _got him into trouble.

Chad laughed with his friend. "Yes! I understand that this is a competition but I'm not gonna fall in love with you if you force it on me. Some of these girls try too hard. And then there's others who are just natural. Girls I can really see myself falling in love with."

"Like Taylor?" Troy asked his friend honestly. If he was a betting man, he'd put his money on the dark skinned beauty. He noticed a difference in Chad around Taylor from the first time either of them set eyes on her.

"Taylor is…" Chad paused. "Well, Taylor is special. Isn't she? She's got me reeling, Troy. She's smart, she's funny. She's independent in a way that you don't see in women these days." Chad coughed, collecting himself. "I, uh, think Gabriella's pretty great as well."

"You do?" Troy's throat constricted at his friends words.

"Gabriella is the rare flower of the bouquet. I haven't figured her out yet. But I think it'll be amazing when I do."

Troy closed his eyes, bringing his hands up to pinch his nose. He knew this was all part of the plan. The production crew needed footage of Chad's thoughts on every girl in the house, even if they were unsure or unfavorable feelings. He knew Chad _had_ to say something about Gabriella. What got to him was he knew his friend, and Chad was honest when he called Gabriella a rare flower. Could he honestly (and secretly) compete with his best friend?

* * *

In hopes of erasing what seemed to be a stressful morning, the girls, Chad and Troy, and the production crew were making their way out to the beach._ And why wouldn't they?_ Gabriella thought to herself. The weather in California was absolutely gorgeous. She was also extremely excited to get out of the house, and into the public for a few hours. The four walls of the mansion were closing in on her. It was only after they arrived at the beach she realized there would be no public involved. No new faces to keep her mind off the man that kept her awake most nights. And it really didn't help that he would be there. Shirtless.

Michael had had a stretch of beach roped off for them, and as she walked onto the sand she promised herself she would have fun. She would lay on the beach, catch a few waves, drink a delicious cold fruity concoction. (Didn't everyone bring their own bartender and chef to the beach?)

Today would be perfect. Today would be relaxing. Today would be…

She let out a sigh as she watched Melanie strip off her cover only to reveal her perfectly shaped abs and gorgeous long legs.

_'Oh right, she teaches yoga for a living.'_

* * *

Normally, when a guy is told he gets to spend the day with his best friend and 9 beautiful women at the beach he's excited. But lately, Troy had a hard time truly being excited for anything. Sure, there was something, rather someone, at the beach that day that made him excited more ways than not. She was also something that had him so perplexed, for the first time in his life he couldn't figure what the right thing to do was.

"Troy! C'mon! We need a fourth!" He heard Chad yell behind him. He turned to see him and Carli standing next to a cornhole board and Gabriella standing next the other alone.

"Yeah, Troy! I need a partner!" Carli called sweetly, and added a puppy dog face for guilty measure. He smirked to himself and grabbed his beer and made his way over to where Gabriella was standing causing Carli to squeal and clap her hands in excitement.

"I'll have you know, Miss Montez," he said smoothly to this brunette next to him, but loud enough for the others to hear. "I'm undefeated in this game against Chad."

"Oh, whatever Troy! You cheat!" Chad yelled back.

"How do you cheat in cornhole Chad?" Troy laughed.

"You're going down Bolton!" His friend called out! "Gabriella and I are on a winning streak!"

Troy looked down at the beauty next to him. She stood with her hand on her hips, her hair was down and wild and for a moment he wished he could run his fingers through it. She looked up to meet his gaze and had a playful look across her face.

"Man," She said a quiet voice that Troy only interpret as flirtatious. "If only I could think of something to wager."

She smiled at him again and took a sip of her drink, and called out for the other two to hear. "You ready Chad?"

"Let's do this baby!"

* * *

Gabriella plopped herself down onto her towel ready to soak up the sun. After several rounds of cornhole, and a hour of jumping around in the waves it was definitely time to lay out and relax. She had to secretly admit to herself that she was having an incredible day.

"Mind if I join you?" she heard a husky voice next to her and looked up to see Troy standing next to her, laying down his own towel next to hers.

"As long as it doesn't bring back bad memories." She teased. "I know seeing me may remind you of the time you got your rear end handed to you by Chad and me."

He laughed and sat down on his towel, flipping the hair out of his eyes as he did so. "I'm losing my edge! I can't hold myself together."

"Oh this is trouble." She said, pretending to be serious. "What on earth could be the cause?"

His smile faded a moment and he turned to meet her gaze, his normally electric blue eyes a darker, more indigo color. "I think I have an idea."

Gabriella's heart practically leaped out of her chest. She smiled and looked out to the ocean. She was surely going to lose it before she made it back home.

"Troy Bolton, losing his edge?" She put a finger to her lips, changing the subject back and looking at him. If _that_ conversation continued, she'd be in trouble. And the cameras would have a blast with the footage. "I think the tabloids would have a hay day with this."

She held up her hands as if displaying a headline, and mocked a news broadcaster's voice. "Troy Bolton losing his touch. Undefeated streak ends."

Troy laughed again. "I think you've read one too many tabloids. I would figure for a librarian that would be considered taboo."

"It's still literature!" She defended. "And my coworkers don't know about my subscription."

She giggled and then turned to find the nearest camera. '_At least until now.' _

Troy followed her gaze and laughed.

"Well, your secret is safe with me." He teased.

Gabriella rolled over so that she was laying on her stomach and her elbows rest in the sand in front of her towel. She casually drew pictures in the sand as she watched a group playing a game in front of her, Chad and Taylor clearly winning over the other two girls.

"Your girlfriend must have a fit with all of this." She said quietly. She knew that once it was said, it couldn't be taken back. It was killing her though. She had to know. Once he confirmed it, maybe she could stop thinking about him all the time. He would officially be off-limits.

"Excuse me?" The tone in Troy's voice clearly showed his confusion.

"I'm just saying. You're living in a house with all these girls. And from what I've gathered, you have to stay here with us. It has to put a strain on your relationship."

Troy was quiet for a few moments. When he finally did look over at her, his eyes almost looked… hurt. "You think I have a girlfriend?"

Her eyes shot open wide. "Well, I uh, I, uh. I didn't know." She stammered out. "I thought maybe I had read that somewhere."

"Oh, Ella." He said quietly, the nickname going unnoticed between the two of them. His eyes locked onto hers for what seemed eternity, and Gabriella was almost certain her heart would stop. "You can't honestly believe those stories. If I have lunch with a costar, I'm dating them. If I go shopping with a friend, I'm dating them."

Her eyes looked away for a moment before looking back into his. When she did respond, her voice was almost a whisper. "But you're…. you."

Troy gave a sad half smile. "And what does that mean? I'm a well known actor so I should be dating some supermodel?"

Gabriella paused for several moments, unable to explain to the man next to her what was inside of her. To explain how wonderful he truly was. She opened her mouth to respond and paused again.

Had he not been sitting right next to her, Troy might not have heard her answer.

"I've never met anyone like you Troy." She broke his gaze and looked down at the squiggles she was drawing in the sand. A tear formed in her eye, and she looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to find the words I want to say. You're amazing Troy. Why wouldn't you have a girlfriend?"

Troy didn't need any more from Gabriella. He could tell what she was trying to say from her sad gaze, and he so badly wanted to tell her he felt the same. He reached his hand over and rubbed the bare skin on her back in comfort. And neither allowed themselves to acknowledge the sparks that shot between them.

* * *

"Troy, what the hell is this?" Michael asked from the pseudo studio built into the house. Michael pushed play and the TV screen in front of them show Troy on the beach, next to Gabriella. Their heads were close together and his arm was on her back rubbing small circles.

Thankful for his years of acting, Troy took a deep breath and looked at the man who he owed everything. The man who started his career, and was a good friend to both him and Chad.

He knew that neither had been wearing a microphone at the beach, and the only sound the camera had picked up was chatter and the sound of the waves. The only thing Michael had to go on was the scene itself. Troy couldn't deny it, it looked compromising.

"She was feeling insecure, Michael. We were joking around about something and she blurted out that she didn't feel like she fit in." Troy lied, sort of. Gabriella wasn't like any of the girls in the house. She didn't fit in in a good way. And for some reason his friend's words came to his head again. Gabriella was a rare flower. "I was trying to be a friend and comfort her. Isn't that why you keep me on the show? It's not for me, Michael. It's for Chad right?"

Michael stared at Troy for several moments before letting out a sigh. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry Troy. We won't put this footage on the show, though. Do you really think Gabriella could be the one?"

Troy looked at his friend unsure of how to answer the question.

* * *

After their conversation back in the studio, Michael asked Troy to do a little best friend 'duty' and have some one on one time with the confessions booth. Troy knew it was to ease the suspicion Michael had had earlier, and for, as he had told Troy, 'America to see the friend's opinion.'

Troy rubbed his neck before looking up at the camera, the small red light blinking in the corner.

"I've spent some time with a lot of the girls in the house in the past few weeks. Trying to figure out which girls are here for real. Which girls would be compatible with my friend. Chad means so much to me. We've been best friends since kindergarten. And even though he puts on an image, he's one of the greatest guys I've ever met. I know whoever he chooses will be lucky to have him, and I just want to be there to make sure he won't get hurt."

He paused a moment. What he had said about Chad was real - he was an incredible person. But he knew going forward with this, he would have to act. At least for some parts of what he had to say.

"I've watched Chad interact with some of these girls. I know that a few of them he has a hard time seeing through. They're all beautiful and charming and it would be easy to fall in love with….on the surface at least. There are others, however, that I watch him with and it's different. A few that I've spent time with myself to know enough that they would bring out a happier side of him. At first I wasn't sure about Jenna's bubbly nature. She sees the world through rose colored glasses, and at first it worried me. Was she too naive, or too passive for Chad's boisterous and bold personality? After watching them together, however, I see that she takes away his worries and stresses.

Kaycee is another girl I was surprised to see Chad hitting it off with. She's different than anything he's ever encountered before, that's for sure. She knows what she wants, and she has no fear of vocalizing it. She can stand toe to toe with Chad, and I can see he likes the challenge.

When I watch him with Gabriella, like at the beach yesterday, I could see how much fun they have. How carefree and easy it was for them. In fact, everything with Gabriella is easy. I've spent some time with her to know that she's genuine. Chad would be lucky if he chose her."

Troy smiled thinking of the dark haired beauty.

"But if I were to be really honest, Taylor is the dark horse in this competition. You can see it in her eyes how much she really is starting to fall in love with Chad, if she hasn't already. But more importantly, I can see it in him. Something with Chad is different when it comes to Taylor. I guess we'll see."

He stood from the chair and gave the cameraman a nod. "Thanks man."

And with that, he walked out of the room.


	9. You Got What I Need

you guys are amazing, you know that? amazing.

* * *

_Baby you, you got what I need  
Baby you, you got my sunshine  
Baby you, you got what I need  
Baby you, you got my sunshine  
When I see you, it's a beautiful world  
But when you're gone, I want you in my arms  
I'm telling you for the last time_

__"You Got What I Need" - Joshua Radin

* * *

Gabriella stretched her arms above her head as she try to fight through the layers of sleep. She blinked her eyes a few times as she adjusted to the shades of blue around her. She had been in this house for a little over three weeks and some mornings she woke up completely clueless as to where she was. And then, like a freight train, it would hit her.

Pushing herself off of the bed, she grabbed a sweatshirt from her closet and made her way downstairs for breakfast. Today was elimination day, which usually meant a long day of meetings, hair and makeup, and confession takes if time allowed. She thought of Troy and Chad and wondered if this was what everyday was like for them. She wasn't sure she could do it, and she had a new respect for the two men. They had never given her any impression other than being friendly and down to earth, and now she realized how exhausting their life must be.

As she reached the kitchen, she saw that Jameson had made breakfast but it appeared as if no one had been down yet. She grabbed herself a plate and thanked the man. She then took her food outside to enjoy the beautiful California morning and prepare herself for the long day.

* * *

"Okay, Gabriella," the stylist asked, "what are we doing with your hair today. Up and curly? Down, straight and sleek?"

"You know I trust you, Cynthia. Work your magic and and I know it'll look amazing."

Cynthia smiled at the girl in the chair in front of her. She was a celebrity stylist. She had worked on the likes of Julia Roberts, Julianne Hough, just to name a few. But when she had been picked to style for this show, she panicked. A job is a job, but…

"I said I wanted a few tendrils up front! This looks like a lion's mane!" She heard a girl yell from a few chairs down.

_'Exactly.' _She thought to herself.

"Gabriella, tell me about your dress. I'm gonna make you the most gorgeous girl here." She whispered in a singsong voice into the girls ear and they both giggled.

"Not that it's hard to do." She added, her voice louder than before.

* * *

Gabriella smoothed the skirt of her gold dress as she waited patiently with the other girls in the hallway. She had to admit it was probably the most beautiful gown she had ever seen, and she knew wearing something like this was a once and a lifetime opportunity. When she returned home she would never be able to afford, let alone have a reason to wear something like this. It's silky gold fabric hugged her petite frame, it's small gold sequins flickered like tiny gems. She wasn't entirely sure about it when she first saw it, but after trying it on and seeing how the gold emphasized her naturally bronze skin she knew there wouldn't be any dress better.

It wasn't something that happened often - so the feeling was strange to her - but looking at herself in the mirror she felt _truly_ beautiful.

She saw a man near the door say something to the girls in front of her, assuming it was time to make their way outside. Tonight's elimination ceremony was being done off of the upstairs balcony, and had it not been such a nerve-wracking experience, Gabriella might be able to appreciate it more. As they walked outside she looked around her to see lights dangled all around them, huge vases with lilies spread about. Gabriella couldn't remember a more romantic setting.

As she continued to scan the balcony her eyes stopped at the three gentlemen in front of her, dressed impeccably. David, the 'host' of the show (who they really only saw on elimination day) was wearing a classic black suit. Chad looked sharp in beige, the suit contrasting perfectly with his dark skin and hair. But her eyes stopped when they were met with two blue ones. Dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal grey three-piece suit, Troy looked more handsome than she had ever seen him, if that were possible. And his eyes were fixed on her, as if she were the only person in the room.

David's voice shook her from the trance she was currently in, disappointed to break Troy's gaze. She turned to the man and listened as he highlighted the past week. She assumed they would doctor up something so that when the show aired, the viewers would be watching a highlight reel of sorts.

"And now for our top eight." David announced. "Chad I will let you do the honors"

Chad stepped forward, stopping just beside one of the lily-filled vases.

"Ladies," he smiled. "I want to thank each and everyone of you for another amazing week. When you hear your name, please come accept a flower as a symbol of my affection."

"Suzanne."

Gabriella watched her third roommate walk to Chad, take the flower and hug him before taking her place on the far end of the balcony.

"Melanie."

Inwardly, Gabriella groaned. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get herself to like Melanie. And this was a new feeling to her. Gabriella was not generally someone who 'didn't like' people.

"Kaycee."

"Jenna."

"Taylor."

Gabriella inwardly squealed. _'Go get him girl!'_

"Carli."

"Gabriella."

For a moment, Gabriella stood dumbfounded in her place. He really wanted her to stay? Forcing herself to walk towards Chad, she smiled and met Troy's gaze. She was staying!

After taking the flower, she walked over to join the other girls who had been chosen and turned to watch the rest of the ceremony… Her least favorite part of the ceremony. Chloe and Marissa were both nice enough girls. And no one deserved the public humiliation of being the one not chosen.

Chad walked towards the two girls, one flower in his hand. "Chloe," his gaze shifted to the dark haired girl. "Would you please accept this flower?"

Next to him, Marissa's cry could be heard by everyone on the balcony, but he knew to focus on Chloe first. She took the flower, planted a kiss on his cheek and joined the other girls. It was only then he turned to face her.

"Marissa, please don't cry. I'm sorry, I just don't see a connection between the two of us."

She nodded her head, but was unable to speak through the tears streaking down her face. Chad gave her a hug, and escorted her to the door. When he returned, the entire group was treated with champagne.

_'Oh yes,'_ Gabriella thought. _'Cause I'm really in the mood for a celebration now.'_

* * *

After Gabriella had gotten past Marissa's tears, she allowed herself to have a really good time. Everyone was dressed up so beautifully and Jameson's team brought out delicious food, and at some point music started playing. It truly was something to see.

She watched as Chad approached Taylor and asked her to dance (the surprised look on her friend's face was completely priceless), and smiled happily for the girl. She couldn't say the same for the rest of her housemates, who looked on with envy and jealousy.

She couldn't be upset. Especially when she was sitting inches away from the most attractive man she had ever laid eyes on, and every so often he would sneak a glance and smile her way sending shivers down her spine.

She felt him lean closer to her and whisper in her ear. "Dance with me Ella."

She shot him an astonished gaze. Surely, they couldn't dance. There were cameras _everywhere. _Not to mention first hand witnesses.

"Please, Gabriella." His voice soft, pleading. She met his gaze and was unable to turn him down.

She took his hand and joined Chad and Taylor on the dance floor. She saw Chad's shocked gaze turn into a smile, and she knew everything was okay.

As Troy wrapped his hands around her waste, she rested hers around his neck. Oh, how _badly_ she wanted to rest her head on his chest and listen to the sound of his heart. Instead, she inhaled the scent of his cologne, and if possible, found herself more attracted to Troy than ever. She blamed it on the champagne, but as they slowly danced the rest of the world shut itself out. The words of the song singing to her and Troy alone.

_Every night I notice you're all alone  
One day you might let me love you  
I'm on fire, can't you feel my desire?  
I want to take you higher  
It's a simplest thing  
It's always so hard to see  
What I want to be  
The one and only making you feel loved  
Oh darling, I need love  
It's all I can dream of _

"I just wanted a chance to tell you how beautiful you look tonight." He said softly.

She looked up at him through her eyelashes, her reply soft and sweet. "Thank you."

"I'm serious," he continued. "Absolutely breathtaking."

Gabriella slightly tightened her arms around his neck, hoping to get herself a little closer. For the rest of the song they remained silent, reveling in the few moments they had together like this.

When the song ended, she thanked Troy again and went to sit back down. Her cheeks flushed as she felt the eyes of everyone on her, to which she avoided at all cost. It was only when she watched Troy and Chad ask another girl to dance the next song did everyone stop staring.

Taylor came and sat down next to her, living the same agony Gabriella currently was - watching the man she adored dance with another woman. But Troy met her gaze when he was able to, shooting her a look of apology. Of understanding.

How was she able to know what Troy was saying through a simple gaze?

But she did understand. She knew Troy was smart, but at that moment she couldn't deny his brilliance. He was simply playing a part - the 'best friend', the 'good guy'. He didn't want the other girls to have to sit when there was an eligible dance partner. She told herself that is what the glance meant.

At least, she _hoped _ that is what the glance meant. Her heart couldn't take it if she were wrong.

* * *

Chad had never been one to have trouble sleeping. His life was a dream, why would he ever have trouble with it? Sure, he could remember a time or two when he had trouble falling asleep after drinking coffee too late, or when he was in his early twenties and his sleep schedule was so messed up that his body didn't know _when_ to sleep. So he couldn't figure out why, for the first time in his life, his mind was plaguing him so much that he could not fall asleep. People were wrong when they said that counting sheep helps.

It doesn't.

When he initially came onto the show he knew it was something he had to do to save his career. Maybe not _save_ his career, for he was pretty sure it wasn't completely doomed, but he knew it would portray a different side of him - a more amiable side of himself. His image would be improved, jobs would come in left and right, and all would be well. He never imagined he'd actually lose sleep over it.

It wasn't as if he were unhappy with the current situation. As far as jobs go, this one was pretty easy. He got to be himself, spend time with his best friend, and court a handful of beautiful women. Beautiful, wonderful, and real women. When it came down to it, he was sure _that_ was what was eating at him. These women weren't like anything he'd met before (not all of them at least). Sure, a few were obviously playing a game. Marry Chad Danforth and live the dream life. Never have to worry again. They weren't hard to spot out. He and Troy had been dealing with them for years. Surprisingly, neither one of them had ever made any extreme mistakes and settled down with any of those women. In fact, besides one close call Troy had had years ago, neither of them had even gotten close to anything close to marriage in their lives. For Hollywood, that was a pretty damn good record.

The other women on the show, however, he knew were changing him. Changing the way he thought about things. What if he did want to get married? The thought had never crossed his mind before. He had always figured life would stay the way it had been for the last decade. What was so wrong with that plan?

He got out of bed and quietly made his way down to the kitchen, grabbing a beer out of the fridge and headed towards the living room. It was late enough that everyone else was asleep, and maybe a drink and a little TV would help ease his roaming thoughts.

That plan was ruined when he saw the petite brunette curled up on the couch with a book in her hand, the small lamp beside her turned on and a blanket wrapped tightly around her legs.

"You never think about having to need a blanket when staying in California, right?" Chad said quietly, hoping not to startle her. Still, the shock was written on her face as she met his gaze but smiled upon recognizing him.

"Can't sleep?" She asked softly.

He smiled and made his way to the couch where she was sitting, situating himself at the other end of the plush sofa. "Nope, which is a first for me."

"Not me," she said with a small smile. "I'm practically a professional."

He laughed and met her warm, brown eyes. "So how do you cure it?"

"Well. I think we need to diagnose why you can't sleep."

Chad scratched his head as he thought for a moment, and looked back at the girl. "Do you ever look at yourself and wonder if you're living the right life?"

The wrinkle in her brow showed her confusion. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Like, do you ever look back at the decisions you've made or things you've done and wondered why you did them and how they've altered where you are now? Or wonder if what you had planned wasn't at all what you wanted?"

Again, she smiled at the man sitting across from her. "I think that's more than one ailment to diagnose, and yes, I definitely have."

"To which question?" He asked with a chuckle.

"To all of them. I think it's perfectly normal to look at our pasts for they shape our futures. Our futures are something that are forever changing. We need to learn from the past in order to perfect our futures." She closed her book, and situated herself so that she could face him better.

"Are you always this smart?" His voice was filled with amusement.

"I'm a fraud." She giggled. "I'm good at pretending to be smart."

"Sure you are. What were your SAT scores in high school?" He scoffed playfully.

"I prefer not to brag." She smiled and looked down at her nails, as if to expect the non existent polish.

"Exactly!" He exclaimed and shook his head. "Gabriella?"

She raised her head and focused her eyes back on his.

"How do you know when you're in love?"

"Chad," she said softly. "I think when you're in love you don't have to ask. You just know."

* * *

Gabriella yawned as she wandered through the trendy clothing store. She was grateful for the day out with only limited cameras following the group of girls in the mall. Michael felt as though they had 'earned' a girls day out, and a bus promptly showed up to escort them all to the mall. To be honest, Gabriella found it all a bit amusing.

As grateful as she was for the day out, she would have loved an extra hour of sleep. She had stayed up way too late talking with Chad, amazed at how easy he was to talk to. Not the juicy details kind of conversation you have with a best gal pal, nor the heart and soul kind shared with a lover, but the ease and comfort of a true friend. She was truly amazed that _Chad Danforth _of all people was someone she found easy to talk to. Someone she hoped from this day forward she could count on as a friend. She spotted a cameraman out of the corner of her eye and rolled her eyes. And of course she was supposed to be falling in love with him, too.

"Gabriella, what do you think of this?" Taylor asked, holding up a red wrap dress.

Gabriella wrinkled her face in response. "It looks too old, Taylor. What about this?"

She held up an emerald green dress. "I think you would look amazing in this."

Taylor looked at the dress skeptically. "It's pretty short."

"Oh it is not!" Gabriella retorted. "You would look so hot in this Taylor. With the perfect shoes and accessories, it would knock Chad off of his feet."

Taylor vocalized her insecurities. "I don't know Gabriella. I think I'd look like an idiot. I don't have the legs that you do, it would look hideous."

Gabriella walked towards her friend and set her hand on her shoulder. "You need to quit that. You're gorgeous Taylor. I would never pick out something that didn't flatter you."

Taylor looked in the eyes of her new friend - the same friend that she was currently competing with for a man's affection - and knew she was telling the truth. Gabriella could quite perfectly sabotage Taylor. Pick out something completely horrible and convince her it looked great. She knew, however, that Gabriella couldn't do that. She was too much like Taylor herself, and as much as Taylor wanted to win she would never to that to Gabriella. The girl had more insecurities than Taylor.

"I have an idea Gabs. Let's pick out each other's dress for our dates this week."

Gabriella smiled. "Okay, deal!"

They heard familiar voices and turned to see Melanie and Kaycee walking through the store.

"Maybe they can change the rules." Melanie said giggling.

"What do you mean?" Kaycee responded.

"Maybe the girl that comes in second can marry Troy." Melanie giggled more, her companion joining in with her.

"If only!" Kaycee responded. "The other night when he asked me to dance? I think I turned into a puddle. And then I danced with Chad. I practically died and went to heaven."

Gabriella's eyes met Taylor's, knowing very well the look in her eyes matched her friends. They continued to listen to the conversation between their two housemates, their smiles fading more and more with each word.

* * *

Gabriella looked at herself in the mirror, practically kicking herself. She knew that having Taylor pick out her outfit for the evening would be risky, but she never imagined Taylor would put her in something this short.

_'Wait until she sees what she has to wear tomorrow.' _She smirked to herself.

The simple black dress had one long sleeve and hung loosely to her body but fell uncomfortably short. Taylor had picked out a large silver beaded necklace and matching bracelet to adorn her bare arm and shoes she knew she couldn't walk in.

Inhaling deeply she made her way down the stairs to join the rest of the girls but was met with six sets of unhappy eyes belonging to the other girls in the house, minus Taylor. She looked down at herself making sure everything was in place and looked at Chad, who was handsome in a button down and jeans.

Her eyes shifted to the far end of the room to find Troy but was disappointed when she was unable to find his gaze.

"You ready to go Gabriella?" Chad asked and her gaze shifted back. She smiled and nodded, and continued to make her way down the rest of the stairs, tripping on the second to last one as she did so.

_'Damn it Taylor.' _she cursed inwardly. She heard the other girls snicker and she felt her cheeks instantly go red. She raised her head and looked at the girls before looking at Chad.

"Are you okay?" His eyes were genuine with concern.

"Of course. Just a little embarrassed. My clumsy self is always getting in my way." She giggled and followed as he made his outside. He led her to the side of the house to where she knew his and Troy's cars were stored in a garage. For a moment she was actually excited about not having to be escorted around in a limo or bus or van. For the first time in weeks she would be in a normal car, and hopefully feel like a normal human being. Her thoughts of excitement were interrupted, however, when she followed Chad into the garage and saw Troy.

"Hey man," Chad greeted warmly. "You sure it's okay I take her? I know how much she means to you."

Gabriella's eyes widened as she watched the encounter between Chad and Troy. How did Chad know? Did that mean Troy _did_ have feelings for her? Her mind was reeling.

Troy met her gaze for a brief moment, his eyes laced with agony before changing his gaze to Chad. "Yeah man, as long as you take care of her."

Troy's voice was contradicting to what Gabriella saw in his eyes, and she watched as he tossed a set of keys to his friend, who caught them with ease.

_'Oh, they're talking about a car.' _She thought, instantly disappointed. She looked down the row of cars and wondered which car was Troy's. She wondered which of the six vehicles would belong to her superstar.

"Right this way, Gabriella." Chad's voice cut through her thoughts and he led her to an incredible charcoal grey Mustang fastback. She had limited knowledge of cars from her father, but she knew this classic car was probably a later 1960's model and worth a fortune. She scanned the body of the muscle car and almost laughed at it's perfect condition. Of course this was Troy's car. It was perfect in every way. Classic, sexy, and one of a kind.

As Chad opened the door for her, she slid in and looked back at Troy. She wanted to scream at him the words that had been bouncing around her head like ping pong balls for the last 4 weeks.

"You guys have fun!" Troy called. "And seriously Chad. Take care of her."

His eyes stayed locked on Gabriella as he said this, the connection being missed by his friend.

It was not missed by Gabriella. As Chad started the car and departed for their very first individual date, her heart was pounding a million miles an hour.

* * *

Gabriella and Chad tried to make their way back into the house quietly, the bottle of wine shared between them making it almost impossible. As Chad stumbled up the stairs, Gabriella giggled loudly. He stopped at the door to her room and smiled.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Gabriella. Thank you."

She genuinely returned the smile and hugged the man in front of her. "Thank you Chad, I did too. Goodnight."

He stood there for a moment as she snuck into her room before making his way back to his own room.

As Gabriella tip toed through the room, she gathered her pajamas and made her way into the bathroom to change. What a wonderful evening it had been. Chad took her to a restaurant over looking the ocean and the two of them spent the entire evening talking away. She learned a lot about Chad and Troy in high school, and a lot of the behind the scenes information you never read about in the tabloids. It made her wonder if anything written in them was true.

She spent hours laughing as Chad told story after story. As she settled into her bed she sent out a short thankful prayer. Before the show she had a few friends, but the only people she ever felt a real connection to were Eva, Scott and her mother. After a few bad relationships and losing her father, she didn't trust people and she certainly didn't allow them into her life. Now, after only 3 weeks she had met three people she wanted in her life for as long as they'd allow. Three incredible people that she knew were sent to help her. To save her from herself.

* * *

Taylor sat across Chad wondering how she ever stood a chance in this competition. They had arrived at _Chez Michel_ almost 4 hours ago, and with every passing minute she knew more and more she was in love with Chad. How could she ever compete with any of the other girls in the house?

She had heard Gabriella sneak (not very quietly for that matter) into the room last night. She knew that Chad was going out with several other beautiful women - it was a part of the deal. Even if he wasn't a celebrity she wouldn't have stood a chance.

Nonetheless, she was having a brilliant evening. They had started with an appetizer and champagne and had stayed well after dessert. They talked about everything. Their jobs, their childhoods, their fears. She learned that Troy and Chad were discovered in a high school musical, and she giggled as Chad told her about the event. They talked about what they wanted in the future, Chad admitting to her he wasn't sure what was ahead of him. It was a moment she was sure she'd never forget.

He had looked at her softly and took her hand, his thumb tracing small circles on her palm. He had stayed like that for a few moments before speaking. "I never used to be scared of the future, Taylor. But recently I've spent a lot of time thinking about where my life was headed, and it scares me to think of how I would have ended up. Living my life without certain people in it." He paused, his grip tightening on hers. "And to think I may have never met them."

She had been speechless for several moments before she was able to respond. "I understand more than you know. I've been pretty self sufficient the past few years. My job was always enough. Relationships came second. I've never thought that I would need someone by my side. Until now."

She was still surprised by her moment of vulnerability. Even more so, she was surprised how much she meant it. Until meeting Chad, she was completely fine with having her career and the occasional fling or small relationship. Now she wanted more. Much, much more.

* * *

After helping Taylor get ready for her date with Chad (smiling the whole time about Taylor's form fitting sparkly green dress), Gabriella quickly readied herself. She had dressed herself semi casually in jeans and a lace tank, but she wanted to fix her hair a bit and apply a bit of makeup.

"Wasn't your date yesterday?" She heard a voice behind her and turned to see Suzanne in the doorway of the bathroom looking at her with skeptical eyes. She slowly put the mascara down and turned off the vanity light.

"I'm on a national television show. I don't want to look like a scrub for the entire world to see Suzanne."

With that, she made her way past Suzanne in the doorway and down to what was becoming her favorite room in the house. She and Troy always hung out and watched movies or TV on the days Chad was off on dates. She knew tonight wouldn't be any different.

* * *

Troy looked down at the small figure next to him who had recently fallen asleep on his arm. He turned behind him to look at the door and saw no one around and slowly slid his arm around her shoulders allowing her to curl up more into his side. He smiled as she subconsciously wrapped her arm around his waist and he pulled her closer to him. He sighed, deeply breathing in her scent as he did so. As he flipped through the channels on the television, he stopped when he noticed this week's "I Want To Marry Chad Danforth" was airing.

He couldn't figure out why he was unable to change the channel. He already knew everything that happened last week. Marissa went home. Chad took the girls out on group dates. They went shopping._ Big deal._ What stopped him was the image of Chad on the couch, sitting across from the girl who was currently wrapped around his abdomen in very dim lighting in what seemed to be an intense, genuine conversation.

He was fixated on the screen as he watched Gabriella laugh at something Chad said, and he looked down at the sleeping form next to him.

What if he was wrong? What if Gabriella was really here to fall in love with Chad? What if she was confused and was playing both of them? Deep down, he knew that Gabriella wasn't capable of that. But could he really get in the way of his best friend's happiness?


End file.
